Somogyi Library received Chinese books from University of Szeged’s Confucius Institute
The Somogyi Library has expanded its collection with a donation of 36 Chinese-language books on Chinese language and culture from the University of Szeged’s Confucius Institute.
The donation was presented last week by Li Yansong, president of the Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), during a ceremony held at the library. The event was also attended by Dr. Tao Qian, president of the Confucius Institute at the University of Szeged, and Ildikó Sikaláné Sánta, director of the Somogyi Library.
The books include collections of studies and texts on art, art history and literature, as well as Chinese language textbooks. Most of the volumes are bilingual in Chinese and English. After processing, they will be available to library visitors and researchers.
The donation was confirmed with the signing of a certificate of cooperation between the partner institutions. As a symbolic gesture, Li Yansong “adopted” one of the library’s most valuable works — an 1856 Chinese edition of the New Testament printed at the London Missionary Press in Shanghai. The rare volume, produced in traditional Chinese book form with text printed on silk-thin paper and folded accordion-style, was acquired by Károly Somogyi, the founder of the library, and has since become one of the collection’s most exceptional treasures.
The “book adoption” is a long-standing Somogyi Library tradition, offered to honorary citizens of Szeged and distinguished visitors. The gesture is purely symbolic — the book remains in the library’s care but receives a note bearing the name of its honorary “adopter.”
As a closing to the event, guests were invited to view rare volumes from the library’s Emlékkönyvtár (Memorial Library), which houses the Somogyi Library’s most precious historical books.
Photos: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify
