Photo by Zhu Liqi
As a land of culture and talents, Ningbo is home to many famous private libraries throughout history, in addition to the world-renowned Tianyi Pavilion. Baozhu Building, a 183-year-old private library located in the Cicheng Ancient Town of Ningbo’s Jiangbei District, was officially reopened in late July. Books donated from all around the country are to enrich the library resources thanks to the efforts of Feng Jicai, a well-known contemporary writer in China. This time-honored library has taken on a new look.
說起書香之城的寧波，除了海內聞名的天一閣，歷史上還曾出現過許多知名的藏書樓。7月下旬，位于江北慈城的“抱珠樓”正式開放，在中國著名當代作家馮驥才先生的倡議下，由全國各地捐贈的書籍正陸續匯集到此。回首往事，這座歷經風雨的藏書樓，正穿越百年時光，煥然新生。
Baozhu Building sits at No. 6 Shiping Road, Cicheng Ancient Town, in the former mansion of the Fengs. Lying to the north of Baozhu Mountain, it is also known as Mansion of Baozhu Mountain. It is one of the best-preserved private libraries in China, with a history of nearly 200 years, built by Feng Benhuai during the reign of Emperor Daoguang (1821-1850) of the Qing Dynasty. Feng's family is well-known across Cicheng town and even Cixi city. Feng Benhuai is a descendant of the well-renowned family in Eastern Zhejiang. Historical evidence suggests that the library was home to more than 10,000 books at its peak, comparable to the Tianyi Pavilion and Wugui Building.
抱珠樓，坐落于慈城鎮始平路6號馮氏故居內，又名抱珠山房，因北依抱珠山而得名，是清道光年間浙東著名的藏書樓，距今已有200余年歷史，是我國目前現存完好的私家藏書樓之一，其創辦人名為馮本懷。“馮”這個姓氏在慈城乃至慈溪都是大家族、大氏族，在整個浙東的家族史上也堪稱歷史悠久，馮本懷就是其中一個小分支的后人。據考證，抱珠樓極盛時藏書曾達數萬卷，堪與“天一閣”“五桂樓”媲美。
After 17 years of research and renovation, the old library was reborn. Before the renovation, the library consisted of three rooms and two lanes: the first floor was for the residence, the second floor was said to be used for keeping books, and there were stairs on the east and west sides. Walking into the building today, you will find that the mottled wooden door is undamaged and termite-free — the quality of the carpentry is excellent.
2021年10月，抱珠樓的修繕和建筑工作完成驗收。經過17年的考證研討、修繕打磨，抱珠樓終于重啟面世。改造前的抱珠樓前后各分為三間兩弄，一樓為住所，二樓相傳為擺放書籍的地方，東西兩側各放置樓梯。走進藏書樓內細細觀看，只見那斑駁的木門上依稀透著紅光，門上幾無殘破更無白蟻啃噬過的痕跡，質量堪稱上乘。
The renovated Baozhu Building covers an area of about 5,090 square meters, with a floor area of nearly 3,279 square meters. The architecture is laid out in a traditional courtyard style, with three halls and two floors. There are four main buildings, including 2 original wooden buildings: Baozhu Building and Feng’s former residence at No. 4 Shiping Road. The 2 new buildings include the pavilion with a spiral sunk panel and a climate-controlled book depository. One wooden entrance and one wooden pavilion are also included.
修繕后的抱珠樓占地面積約5090平方米，建筑面積約3279平方米，結構采用了傳統院落式布局，共三進兩層。其主體建筑共有4幢其中包含2幢原有木構建筑：抱珠樓本體、始平路4號馮氏故居，2幢新建筑：螺旋藻井四面亭、恒溫恒濕藏書庫，并新修造了1個木構出入口和1個木構涼亭。
In 1949, the Feng’s family donated all the books to the Xiling Seal Art Society, a Chinese arts organization in Hangzhou. According to Feng Hancai, a descendant of the family, all the books at that time were packed in bamboo baskets and carried by people to the west of Cicheng under the Dexing Bridge, where they were loaded onto ships and transported to Hangzhou. Staff from the Feng’s family and Xiling Seal Art Society jointly escorted the cargo for the entire journey to ensure the safety of these precious books. Unfortunately, the volumes were not listed separately at the Society and as a result the specific number and types of books previously stored in Baozhu Building remain unknown.
1949年，應馮本懷后人的捐贈請求，抱珠樓中的藏書全部轉移到杭州西泠印社妥善安置。據馮家后人馮涵才生前回憶，當時所有的書籍全部裝在竹籮里，人背肩扛一直運到慈城西面德星橋下，從這里裝運上船通過水路一直運到省城。馮家人和西泠印社的工作人員全程護送，以確保這些寶貴書籍的萬無一失。可令人惋惜的是，抱珠樓的書籍到達西泠印社后，印社并沒有將它們單獨撰立書單、書目，讓現在的我們無法得知抱珠樓擁有書籍的具體數量和種類，實為一樁憾事。
At an international academic conference organized by Zhejiang Library in 2007, Baozhu Building was presented as one of fourteen well-preserved old libraries in Zhejiang Province, along with Tianyi Pavilion in Ningbo and Jiayetang Library in Huzhou. Experts believe that – in addition to Tianyi Pavilion and Wugui Building – Baozhu Building should be the third well-preserved library in Ningbo, embodying the city’s time-honored culture.
2007年浙江圖書館在舉辦的一次國際學術會議上，把慈城抱珠樓和寧波天一閣，湖州嘉業堂放在一起，作為浙江省還存世的十四座著名藏書樓，向與會代表隆重介紹。專家認為，除卻“天一閣”和“五桂樓”，抱珠樓應該屬于寧波現今保存完整的第三處藏書樓，頗能代表寧波的文化底蘊。