It is early summer in Sir Robert Ho Tung Library. When the descending sun streams dispersedly on the backyard, a gentle breeze passes through the yellow arched corridor, the green sprouts of the sponge gourds on the trellis, then the willfully stretching branches of the old tree and finally, goes into the heart of every reader in this reading palace. Such a pleasing scene has stayed the same for 60 years. The library, which has kept the same overall appearance while carrying historical traces that seem to have undergone refurbishments, extends its fingertips as though laying its fingers on the people, stories and objects that have passed by in the past 60 years.
Time flies and, imperceptibly, Sir Robert Ho Tung Library is now embracing its 60th anniversary, after having created personal memories for every generation of Macao residents throughout the six decades. A city with a good reading atmosphere is usually a city full of vitality. Carlos Marreiros, an architect with a long and deep relationship with the library, told us that Macao had only two public libraries in the 1980s but boasts a total of 17 libraries now, which speaks for itself that the city is still in its prime under rapid development. The 60-year-old library has shown no traces of aging but is flourishing quietly against the passage of time, with its roots in the hearts of the people who have met her.
In this issue of Books and the City, therefore, we will write a ‘love letter’ to Sir Robert Ho Tung Library by straightening out its history and looking ahead at the future.
In response to the theme of this issue, the column ‘Library Portrait’ will unlock the secrets of the Chinese Ancient Books Chamber of Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, which will give readers more quality information on reading to talk about with their peers. In ‘Reading Landscape’, we have invited renowned Hong Kong illustrator Wai Wai, who has just finished her latest picture book – A Love Letter to Yau Ma Tei, to portray the most down-to-earth side of Sir Robert Ho Tung Library with her brushes from across the sea. Such enthusiasm from another city has immensely filled the portrait with moving sentiments.
What about you? Any special memories of Sir Robert Ho Tung Library?