Biblioteca Robert Ho Tung, Macao, 2013-08-08, DD 03

The Sir Robert Ho Tung Library ( pt, Biblioteca Sir Robert Ho Tung; ) is a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

in São Lourenço,

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. A part of the

Macao Public Library The Macao Public Library (; pt, Biblioteca Pública de Macau) is the public library system of Macau. The head office is on the ground floor of the old building of the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library in São Lourenço (Saint Lawrence Parish). Hist ...

system, is located in St. Augustine's Square in the

Historic Centre of Macau The Historic Centre of Macao, pt, Centro Histórico de Macau, , is a collection of over twenty locations that witness the unique assimilation and co-existence of Chinese and Portuguese cultures in Macau, a former Portuguese colony. It represents ...

, a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. The library is housed in a

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...

that has good historical, cultural and architectural value. The old building has the head office of the library system, located on the ground floor, and the offices of the Macao ISBN Agency, located on the second floor.Services Brochure
"

. p. 18/20. Retrieved on April 18, 2017. "Office Addresses and Office Hours ..ffice of Macao Public Library Largo de Santo Agostinho, No. 3 (i.e. GF, old building of Sir Robert Ho Tung Library) ..acao ISBN Agency Largo de Santo Agostinho, No. 3 (i.e. 2/F, new building of Sir Robert Ho Tung Library)"

History

The building was constructed before 1894 and was owned by Dona Carolina Cunha. Later the mansion was purchased by

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

businessman Sir Robert Ho Tung in 1918 as a retreat and he lived there between 1941 and 1945 during the

Japanese occupation of Hong Kong The Imperial Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began when the Governor of Hong Kong, Mark Aitchison Young, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the British Crown colony of British Hong Kong, Hong Kong to the Empire of Japan on 25 December 1941. The surr ...

as the Japanese respected Portuguese neutrality in Macau. He died in 1955 and the building was presented to the Government for conversion to a public library in accordance with his will. Sir Robert Ho Tung Library was officially opened in 1958 to the general public. In 2005, a new building was constructed near the back garden of the mansion, making the library the biggest public library in Macau.

References

1958 establishments in Macau Historic Centre of Macau Houses completed in 1894 Libraries established in 1958 Public libraries in China Tourist attractions in Macau Libraries in Macau Portuguese colonial architecture in China {{Macau-stub

History

See also

References