Into the temple of the written word

Zhou Liming helps take care of repairs to the building, the outer walls of which are formed by 45,000 dark firewood sticks.[Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Many people who have seen iconic architectural and cultural landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and the Taj Mahal will tell you that when they finally see them in real life they are a lot smaller than they had imagined. The Liyuan Library is no different. Even if it is striking to the eye, its dimensions are by no means imposing, being modest rather than grand.

It sits on the edge of a stream through which runs a strong, steady torrent of water.

As we approached, one woman's loud pink shirt stood in sharp relief to the tranquil natural surroundings, and a handful of adults took photos of their young children frolicking around outside the building.

We were in no hurry to go inside, the morning's motoring odyssey having seen to it that we arrived just before lunchtime, when the library closes for two hours. It was time to simply enjoy the surroundings and take in the features of the building that stood before us. I ambled across a low, 50-meter bridge that traverses the stream, admiring the rushing water as I headed to the library for a closer inspection of it and it surroundings.

The body of water is the headstream of Lake Yanxi, whose beauty world political leaders were able to admire last November when the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum was held there (and which gave birth to the expression APEC blue, referring to the clear skies that appeared, as if by magic, over Beijing at that time.)

When the forum was held, Beijing was in the throes of one of its usual bone-dry winters and, aided by black trees denuded of their foliage, the area can look desolate. That applies to the library and its surroundings, too, and the stream, with its dry rocks, may seem rather bleak at that time of the year. But on this summer's day the water was bubbling along, and large clumps of cattail luxuriated in their wet habitat.