Ningbo Tianyige Museum (Baoguo Temple Historical Architecture Museum)

Ningbo Tianyige Museum (Baoguo Temple Historical Architecture Museum)
宁波市天一阁博物院（宁波市保国寺古建筑博物馆）

Address: 10 Tianyi Street, Haishu district, Ningbo, Zhejiang province
Hours: 8:30 am - 5:30pm (May 1-Oct 31), with last entry at 5:00 pm
8:30 am - 5:00pm (Nov 1- April 30:), with last entry at 4:30 pm
Closed every Monday morning (Except for national holidays, open at 1:30 pm)
General admission: 30 yuan ($4.58)
Tel: (+86-0574)87293856

The Ningbo Tianyige Museum, which includes the renowned Tianyi Pavilion, is a museum dedicated to the art of book collecting.

The Tianyi Pavilion is the oldest existing private library in China, and one of the three oldest existing private libraries in the world. Built between 1561 and 1566, it originally housed the private book collection of Fan Qin, a high-ranking military official during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Today the Pavilion holds nearly 300,000 ancient books, of which 80,000 are rare volumes in prime condition. Particularly notable are the Ming dynasty local historical records and mandarin examination records. In recent years, the museum has begun to grow, expanding to include the Chen Ancestral Hall and the Qin Ancestral Hall. Today, the former houses a display exploring the origin of mahjong, while the latter is known for its unique architectural design, which incorporates traditional local styles.

Edited based on the English introduction of the Ningbo Tianyige Museum official website