Two places from Ningbo - Tianyi Pavilion and Ningbo Focus International Humanistic Meeting Room - are designated Zhejiang provincial bases for international humanistic exchanges on Dec 14. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

Two places from Ningbo - Tianyi Pavilion and Ningbo Focus International Humanistic Meeting Room - were recently listed among the third group of Zhejiang provincial bases for international humanistic exchanges.

With a history of over 450 years, Tianyi Pavilion is the oldest private library in Asia. The 26,000-square-meter structure has a collection of 300,000 books, 80,000 of which are considered rare.  

The Tianyi Pavilion Forum, which has been held for six editions, has gathered more than 200 scholars and experts from more than 30 countries and regions worldwide to explore topics related to ancient books, literature, aesthetics, and more.

Last month, Tianyi Talk, an online dialogue attended by curators of Italy's Laurentian Medici Library and the Malatesta Novello Library as well as those from Tianyi Pavilion, was held.

Meanwhile, the Ningbo Focus International Humanistic Meeting Room has over the past 11 years donated more than one million copies of the magazine and organized over 240 events to help expats living in Ningbo better understand Chinese culture.