Tianyi Pavilion is a well-known ancient private library in China. It is located in Ningbo, Zhejiang. It was built in 1561-1566 during the Ming Dynasty by Fan Qin. It has a long history of more than four centuries. Over the years, it has withstood the test of time and various historical changes. It features a serene and tasteful environment, with gardens of great refinement, architecture of a primitive style and pronounced local traits.
Best Time to Visit: All Seasons Available
Recommended Visiting Time: 1 ~ 2 hours
Opening Hours: 8:30~17:30
Tickets: CNY 30
Address: No.10 Tianyi Street, Haishu District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang, China
Attractions in Tianyi Pavilion
Book Collection and Cultural Area
Baoshu Building (宝书楼): The core building of Tianyi Pavilion, it is a two-story
building with a hard gable roof. The upper floor is a large open space, and the lower floor is divided into six rooms for storing books. Its architectural style is simple and elegant, possessing extremely high historical and cultural value. Tourists can feel a strong atmosphere of book collection culture here and appreciate the unique architectural features of the ancient library.
Dongming Thatched Cottage (东明草堂): One of Fan Qin's book collection places
and also the main place for reading and collecting books before the completion of Tianyi Pavilion. It reflects the early book collection history and cultural origin of Tianyi Pavilion. The architectural style is simple and generous, and some cultural relics and materials related to Fan Qin's book collection are displayed inside, allowing tourists to have a deeper understanding of the development process of Tianyi Pavilion.
Zunjing Pavilion (尊经阁): Originally located in Ningbo Prefectural School and later
moved to Tianyi Pavilion. It was a place for storing Confucian classics in ancient times. The building is solemn and elegant, and there are some precious ancient books and cultural relics in it, which has important historical and cultural significance and also enriches the connotation of the book collection culture of Tianyi Pavilion.
Mingzhou Stele Forest (明州碑林): It houses a large number of ancient steles,
covering various aspects such as history, culture, and art. These steles not only have important historical research value but also their calligraphy art is excellent. It is an important window for understanding the ancient culture and calligraphy art of the Ningbo area.
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Garden and Leisure Area
Ming Pool: Located in the East Garden, it is an important part of the Tianyi Pavilion garden. The water is clear and surrounded by green trees, presenting a pleasant scenery. There are rockeries, pavilions, and corridors beside the pool, which contrast with the water and create a quiet and elegant garden atmosphere. It is a good place for tourists to take a leisurely walk and enjoy the beauty of the garden.
Rockery: The rockeries in the garden have different shapes. Some are like strange peaks, and some are like fierce beasts crouching. They skillfully imitate the charm of natural mountains and waters. The rockeries combined with the surrounding plants, pools, and other landscapes form a unique garden landscape, increasing the layering and interest of the garden. Tourists can feel the charm of traditional Chinese garden art here.
Long Corridor: Connecting various scenic spots in the garden, the architectural style of the long corridor is simple yet refined. There are exquisite couplets and patterns engraved on the corridor columns. Walking in the long corridor, tourists can enjoy the beauty of the garden while savoring the excellent works of ancient literati and poets and feel a strong cultural atmosphere.
Exhibition and Display Area
Qin Family's Branch Shrine (秦氏支祠): Famous for its exquisite architectural decorations. The wood carvings, brick carvings, and stone carvings in the shrine are of superb craftsmanship and rich in themes, showing the high level of traditional architectural art in the Ningbo area. Various exhibitions are often held here, displaying the history, culture, and folk customs of Ningbo, allowing tourists to understand the local traditional culture while appreciating the ancient architecture.
Painting and Calligraphy Hall: It collects a large number of ancient painting and calligraphy works, including some famous masterpieces. The painting and calligraphy hall holds various painting and calligraphy exhibitions from time to time, showing painting and calligraphy art of different periods and styles, providing a platform for painting and calligraphy enthusiasts to appreciate and learn, and also allowing tourists to appreciate the profound and extensive traditional painting and calligraphy art in Tianyi Pavilion.
