Looking for foreign-language books, magazines or multilingual events in Guangzhou? The Sun Yat-sen Library of Guangdong Province is one of the city's best resources for international readers.
Wenming Road Main Library
Founded in 1912, the Sun Yat-sen Library of Guangdong Province is the province's public library and a National First-Class Library. It comprises the Wenming Road Main Library, the Wenming Road Themed Library and the Wende Road Branch.
As of the end of 2025, the library held approximately 10.09 million items, including more than 700,000 ancient books and local documents. It serves around 1.72 million registered readers, lends about 3.05 million items annually, hosts more than 2,000 reading and cultural events each year, and receives nearly 10,000 visitors daily.
Wende Road Branch
One of Guangdong's largest foreign-language collections
The library holds one of Guangdong's largest collections of foreign-language materials, with more than 500,000 items.
The Foreign-Language Books and Periodicals Reading Area, located on the third floor (Zone B) of the Wenming Road Main Library, offers:
■ More than 190,000 foreign-language books in 37 languages, including English, German, Japanese, Russian, French and Spanish.
■ More than 400 imported original-language periodical titles, totaling over 10,000 volumes.
■ A dedicated German-language collection of more than 10,000 books and periodicals.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. (closed on Mondays). Holiday hours are announced separately.
How foreign visitors can apply for a library card
Foreign nationals can apply for a Foreign-Language Library Card at the Reader Service Center on the first floor of the Wenming Road Main Library.
Required documents: A valid passport, along with a valid address and contact telephone number in China.
Application hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Borrowing privileges
Cardholders may borrow either:
■ Up to 10 foreign-language books, five foreign-language magazines and five foreign-language CDs, or
■ Up to 20 Chinese-language books, magazines or CDs
The loan period is 21 days, and items may be renewed up to three times.
Deposit and overdue charges
■ A refundable deposit of 500 yuan is required to obtain a Foreign-Language Library Card. Payment can be made in cash or via WeChat Pay.
■ To cancel the card and receive a refund, cardholders must visit the Reader Service Center in person with their passport. Refunds are processed 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
■ Overdue items incur a charge of 0.10 yuan per item per day, capped at 15 yuan per item.
Foreign-language events this summer
From July to August 2026, the library is hosting its "Spend Your Summer at SYS Library" program, featuring more than 300 reading and cultural events across 108 programs that combine reading with music, lectures, technology, markets and the arts.
Highlights for international readers include:
July
English Corner
Theme: Starlit Adventure to the Trisolaris
Time: July 19, 2:30-4:00 p.m.
Venue: Foreign-Language Reading Area, 3/F, Wenming Road Main Library
German Corner
Theme: Spieltag-Deutsch lernen, um Deutschland zu verstehen
Time: July 26, 2:30-4:00 p.m.
Venue: Rong·Ai Space, 1/F, Wenming Road Main Library
Foreign-language Book Display
Theme: Look to the Stars, Dialogue with "The Three-Body Problem"
Time: July 1-31
Exhibition
Theme: Typhoon Impact
Time: July 1-September 30
August
English Corner
Theme: Silent Spring, Speaking Minds
Time: August 30, 2:30-4:00 p.m.
Venue: Foreign-Language Reading Area, 3/F, Wenming Road Main Library
Foreign-language Book Display
Theme: Voyage to the Stars
Time: August 1-30
Most events require advance registration through the Sun Yat-sen Library of Guangdong Province's official WeChat account. Schedules are subject to change.
Official website: https://www.zslib.com.cn/?abc1.cn
Official WeChat account: "知了iKNOW"
Address: No. 213 Wenming Road and No. 81 Wende Road, Guangzhou (广州市文明路213号、广州市文德路81号)
Note: The information above is for reference only. For the latest updates, please check the library's official website or WeChat account.
Author | Liu Lingzhi
Photos | Sun Yat-sen Library of Guangdong Province
