Reading together can be a wonderful way to spend time together, especially on hot or rainy weekends, and what better place to do it than Guangzhou Library with its 100s of books in various languages?

Some expats might not realise that Guangzhou Library located by Huacheng Square, Tianhe, is actually much more than just a place to marvel at and wander around if you’re a foreigner because it DOES have thousands of books in languages other than Mandarin! It has 100s of children’s books!I have seen books in Japanese, Korean, English, French, Spanish, Russian and German but I’m sure there are more and many of the books in English are translations of books originally written in a different language. So if you’re bored with your home selection, consider popping in to GZ Library and stocking up on bedtime literature:)

Children’s library is on the 2nd floor, if you think the Chinese way about floors. It has a separate escalator and as soon as you enter the library (through West Gate, which is the main entrance) and go through the security check, the escalator leading directly to the Children’s Library is right in front of you.

The library opens at 9am and believe me, on weekends the queues are looong so better to get there either early morning or early afternoon. Children’s section is nice and quiet during the week though. What many local parents/grandparents tend to do is stay at the library all day, including napping there (adults, not kids) and so it can be difficult to find an empty seat but it can be done, it may just be a case of being patient.

In order to borrow books from the children’s library, your child needs to have a library card. Yes, your child, not you. Obtaining one is super easy, just go to the main reception on ground floor with your child’s passport and they will make one then and there. You use that card in the special scanning machines et voilá (instructions are available in English AND staff speak English too). I believe the limit is around 10 books at a time and you can keep them for a month. Don’t be surprised when you see adults pulling suitcases in and out of the library! It is a surprisingly common sight.

Of course, Guangzhou Library has much more to offer than just children’s books.

Underground you’ll find exhibition halls and a diner. Last year, I visited the Dalí exhibition(free) which was very interesting and informative with all information in Chinese and English. The 4th Floor is home to foreign newspapers, such as Le Monde, The Telegraph or El Mundo whilst 8th floor, my favourite, houses foreign literature and magazines. Up there you can find some books for teenagers but most are aimed at adult reader, with topics ranging from classics, cooking books, travel guides, philosophy and politics. Every time I have been, I was impressed by how recent the publications were.

The magazine section is where I can spend hours on end perusing the likes of French edition of Marie Claire, German Elle or English Home&Garden. Not everyone is as shallow of a reader as I am though and thankfully you can also find more ambitious reads there, such as magazines dedicated to design, architecture and art. If you have older kids, I think this floor would be more interesting for them.

As if that wasn’t enough, 8th floor also hosts regular mini exhibitions, e.g. I have recently seen one on traditional Turkish puppet theatres. I have also seen kids participate in activities on site but those might be limited to children, who speak Chinese and most likely need to be pre-booked though I noticed that during Chinese New Year there were storytelling activities open to everyone.

Kids’ library also houses playgroups for the youngest ones, with loads of toys and books to occupy them. Ask at the reception for details as I believe spaces are limited.

Some may not know that Guangzhou Library has district branches, too, which also offer foreign books. Some of those branches are located in beautiful, stylish, purpose-built buildings, like the Baiyun Library and have fab reading rooms for kids. You may be surprised to know that Guangzhou has hundreds of libraries, with many located within schools and kindergartens but also in dedicated cultural spaces and creative parks. I will try to write separate posts about the most interesting reading spots for kids but for now here are a few noteworthy ones: Huijing Library Tianhe, Nansha Library, library at South China Agricultural University and Sun-Yat Sen library in Yuexiu. Disclaimer-I have only been to the last one out of the four so far.

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Info

Opening time: 9am – 9pm

Parking: There is plenty of parking space in the Mall of the World Park, all underground.

Getting there: The easiest way is to take the Metro Line 5 or 3 to Zhujiang New Town station, exit C or B1 would be best. Walk past Guangzhou Opera House and the library will be in front of you. Alternatively, take the APM line directly to Guangzhou Opera House station, exit B.

Food: Eating is not allowed in the library but there is a diner on -1 Floor, however a much better option would be to eat in one of the tens if not hundreds of eateries in Mall of the World Park (all underground). Alternatively, K11 mall and GT Mall are very close to the library offering a wide selection of dining options. My favourite is Pizza Marzano in GT Mall, Summer Plaza, why? Because they have a LEGO table, which means mum can relax:)

Facilities: There are clean toilets on each floor of the library and there is a special feeding and nappy changing area within the Children’s Library, which was super handy when I started to visit the library with my then not-yet-potty-trained toddler. The library has a reading room for visually-impaired.

Have you found any interesting reading spaces for kids? I’d love to get some recommendations!