Journal of East Asian Libraries Volume 2003 Number 129 Article 9 2-1-2003 In Search of Books in Hong Kong and Taipei Wen-ling Liu Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jeal BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Liu, Wen-ling (2003) "In Search of Books in Hong Kong and Taipei," Journal of East Asian Libraries: Vol. 2003 : No. 129 , Article 9. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jeal/vol2003/iss129/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of East Asian Libraries by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. SEARCH BOOKS HONG KONG TAIPEI wenlingwen ling liu indiana university newly appointed librarian east asian studies I1 eager leableamlearn book trade publishing trends east asia hong kong book fair july 2002 offered me good chance broadening my knowledge led frank xu brooklyn public library sixteen librarians united states participated event opportunity partially owed hong kong book fairus librarian invitation program jointly sponsored american library association hong kong book fair I1 very glad three CEAL members traveling me karen wei university illinois urbana champagne ping situ university arizona library annie lin university california davis annie I1 planned make best use trip moment heard both us team inspired tips our colleagues contacted libraries chinese university hong kong hong kong university both gifts exchanges partners well vendors many libraries north america intended meet subject librarians discuss them collection development plans compare them ours visit rare book collections hong kong vicissitudes hundred years british colonial rule hong kong transformed small fishing village international city however book remae2 affmffmev professor leo lee points hong kong real china china minds many westerners axlefxlelE 64 43FPFP 9 lffanab N ati 4191N exotic quality city magnified tfactFXfashionablealSAwest tradition oriented east coexistexist conspicuously area slightly larger thousand square kilometers situated between south china sea mainland hong kong comprised hong kong island kowloon peninsulapeninsulajustjust opposite new territories including 235 outlying islands under principle country two systems area became hong kong special administrative region SAR china I1 july 1997 policy allows hong kong continue enjoy bustling free market economy few tariff restrictions population little 7 million people nearly 95 being ethnic chinese major groups filipino indonesian british current government policy allows 55000 mainland chinese citizens primarily wives children hong kong permanent residents immigrate hong kong each year I1 arrived hong kong very hot day I1 struck much humidity overcrowding amazing contrast between landscape cityscape blue green south china sea hand skyscrapers bustling streets empire hotel mbijs where our delegation resided conveniently located hennessy road few blocks away hong kong convention exhibition centre HKCEC close infamous red light district during next few evenings whenever strolled back dinner shopping excursions willy nilly became witnesses world suzie wong press neiSEIPM hong kong oxford university 2001 p 56 113 anniannlannieannlee I1 very lucky perfect guide M au kumrumil3tilatkiatkiadRRM recommended us joint friend au cataloger chinese university hong kong library man broad knowledge chinese culture history helped us experience different social facets life hong kong took us taste famous seafood upscale business shopping area esiceiCSIJA went us ferry view magnificent evening skyline city led us through maze alleys filled street vendors shops since hong kong city where inch place inch gold 1 surprising buildings quite small shops often share floor spaces each I1 think famous quote novelist ailing zhang hong kong sumptuous sad city m iww2 important international city hong kong offers examples world renowned architecture convention exhibition centre wanchai where book fair took place certainly them overlooking victoria harbour hong kong convention exhibition centre primary tourist site first opened 1988 addition built artiartlartificialicialacial strip land extending ocean completed 1997 doubled structures size impressive aluminum roof suggests rhythmic movement ofaseabirdsseabirdsseabirds wing facing china many tourists take pictures front sculpture golden bauhinia symbolizes british handover hong kong book fairs welcoming lunch featured uncommon dishes double broiled sharks fin cabbage assorted seafood held golden bauhinia restaurant inside convention centre benjamin chau director exhibitions department pointed given year 1500 events almost hundred major exhibitions take place centre goals rejuvenate hong kong business well cultural hub east asia strengthen citescitys competitiveness especially vis vis shanghai located lower level convention centre trade development council TDC provides quality business information services hong kong companies houses largest collection market trade information city includes date electronic databases new state art multimedia centre contains 40000 books 2000 periodicals 500 statistical tables 160 000 newspaper clippings 70 CDROMCD ROM titles numerous videos convenient facility us free internet service provided sent mailemaile messages our colleagues US elsewhere searched databases our home libraries 1313thth hong kong book fair httihkbookfairtdcorgh0httphkbookfairtdcorghk largest prestigious events kind china hong kong book fair sponsored TDC held hong kong convention exhibition centre spread three large halls 373 exhibitors china hong kong macau taiwan participated fair main hall reserved well known book publishers hall two occupied periodical vendors shops featuring stationary toys hall three offered video media 2ailingbailing2 ailing zhang short story mo liii xiang planpian jat5mifftjjt wrote hong kong sumptuous sad city CE9 wiwiwwiwikf V 3k0 LP al2 0 M 114 services well childrens publications each visiting child spent estimated HK 10000 fair officially hong kong book fair provided firsthandfirst hand access latest publications public academic libraries latest music software electronic publishing 44 opportunity44opportunity purchase materials large discounts 430000 people attended fair whose safety ensured presence numerous security guards latest popular books china hong kong taiwan main attraction visitors including our librarians brooklyn public library queens borough public library serve large chinese communities new york city since these librarians attended fair past came well prepared well supplied substantial budgets newcomers however easily get lost crowds colorful displays books fortunate joint publishing host our group provided us personal assistants help quick jotting down orders rest us complimentary pens book pads hand strolled down hallways visited booths leisurely pace browsed popular titles order get feeling current cultural beat explored hard find material well important academic publications each us wore red tag identified us special guests centre afforded us instant access publishers representatives made special efforts discuss news trends us large publishers shingwushangwu 121aa zhonghuaZhonghua CrprP joint EE ak1k university presses set spacious booths displayed many old research books together new publications two long rows booths reserved publishers china mainland among them shanghai publishing largest display I1 surprised find books gone toward end fair I1 especially excited I1 discovered valuable presumably print titles useful additions collection indiana university free internet service I1 searched IU library database make sure duplicates then placed quite few orders including materials hong kong macau well books written local writers course benefits attending book fair able review books first hand evaluate compare quality publications assured high quality I1 did hesitate purchase publisher han mo xuan avemtvemsf complete sets mingjiamingfiaminggia han mo yue kan 4silntsiit1w1wa41 fJ zhahzhongguojinjongguonggu0finninvin dadaiyaiyafi ingfiamingjiaminguiam shshuu hhuaua quanliquanjiquan ji sastPP iFT ft4 &1i wriSRI zhongguoZhong guo mingjiaminggiamingfiafa fa shu quanliquanji 43 sibbibRbim s&st library visits hong kong taipei judy lu library congress told us mailemaile message before our trip hong kong very high tech place lot very smart efficient professionals field asian studies statement sums our experience perfectly warmly welcomed given guided tours various collections our colleagues introduced us libraries gave us many useful pieces advice regarding our stay hong kong chinese university hong kong libraries yee ip ho head east asian languages section cataloging department colleague M au briefed us cataloging workflowworkflow library meliza ng head public services division guided 115 us through collections including universities service centre china studies rare book room service centre established 1963 includes complete runs chinese provincial national newspapers early 1950s 1800 periodicals 300 newspapers 800 regional statistical yearyearbooksbooks according ng many scholars mainland china visit bentrescentresCentres unique collection find primary sources china before cultural revolution hong kong university libraries dr YC wan pr director fung ping shan MY 10IOO library CEAL member showed us fung ping shan library HFT lhilllil NblifrlhtIET 0 famed hong kong collection rare book collection thanks