Sir Robert Ho Tung Library

The Sir Robert Ho Tung Library (Portuguese: Biblioteca Sir Robert Ho Tung; Chinese: 何東圖書館) is a public library in São Lourenço, Macau, China. A part of the Macao Public Library system, is located in St. Augustine's Square in the Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The library is housed in a mansion that has good historical, cultural and architectural value.^[1] 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.^[2]

Sir Robert Ho Tung Library Biblioteca Sir Robert Ho Tung 何東圖書館
Location	São Lourenço, Macau, China
Type	Library
Established	1958

Sir Robert Ho Tung

Gardens of the library.

Sir Robert Ho Tung Library
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	何東圖書館
Simplified Chinese	何东图书馆
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Hé Dōng Túshūguǎn Yue: Cantonese Jyutping ho4 dung1 tou4 syu1 gun2
Portuguese name
Portuguese	Biblioteca Sir Robert Ho Tung

History

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

See also

• List of oldest buildings and structures in Macau

References

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

22°11′33″N 113°32′16″E