Library with China theme in Mexico

MEXICO CITY - The first China-themed library in Mexico was inaugurated in late April to promote a cultural exchange. Books on Chinese history, art, culture, traditional medicine and music as well as digital and video archives, can be found at the new Chinese Library at Mexico City's Anahuac University.

Officials from China and the prestigious private university were on hand to inaugurate the 14th library of its kind worldwide, as part of celebrations marking 45 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The Chinese Library serves as "a window that will allow Mexico to better know our country, and it will also be a new platform for deepening educational, academic and cultural exchanges", says Cui Yuying, the deputy director of China's State Council Information Office.

Cui says she hopes China and Mexico "can work together and continuously invest in the construction, administration and use of the Chinese Library, with the goal of turning it into a true cultural bridge that connects the two countries and a window that fosters bilateral friendship".

The library boasts 6,000 books and 80,000 digital archives with information on China's politics, economy, culture, science and technology, education and history.

The 120-square-meter facility is equipped with large-screen monitors for viewing some 100 hours of video and virtual reality featuring China's different regions, ethnic groups and lifestyles.

Chinese language students will find special software, in both Spanish and English, to learn Mandarin.

Cipriano Sanchez Garcia, the rector of Anahuac University, says the library was made possible thanks to an initiative between China's State Council and center for higher learning from the Mexican side.

"This collaboration proves we have the potential to approach one another, to learn from one another, to build bridges and weave networks of cultural understanding," says Sanchez.

Speaking about the similarities between the two countries, Cui says: "China and Mexico are civilizations and countries with rich cultural heritage. Both are world renowned for their uniqueness, and both have remained strong through constant innovation. Throughout history, we have seen how both civilizations have progressed and learned from one another."

Speaking about the new library, professor Li Yueyin from Anahuac's School of Languages, says it is bound to draw many visitors as "there is much interest" in China's past and present.

More material is set to arrive at the library to help "make classes more interactive", says Li.

Since 2012, Chinese libraries have been set up in Japan, Tanzania, Congo, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Australia, Belgium, Myanmar, Laos, Indonesia, Russia, Peru and Turkey.

Xinhua