IC to mark 60th anniversary of Sir Robert Ho Tung Library

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will hold a plaque inauguration ceremony at the library on Saturday. The ceremony will be followed by a series of activities held during the same month, including a talk by architect Carlos Marreiros, who in the 1980s coordinated and implemented the repair projects on the site.

Before it was turned into a library, the building was a private villa bought by Sir Robert Ho Tung in 1918. After his death in 1956, Ho’s family executed his will by donating the building and HKD25,000 to the local government to purchase books and turn it into a public library. The Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, which was at the time the largest public library featuring a collection of about 3,000 books, officially opened to the public on August 1, 1958.

Another activity that will take place will be by architect Andre Lui Chak Keong, who will conduct the ‘Relaxing Moment at St. Augustine’s Square – Guided Architectural Tour and Sketching Activity’ on August 5 and 18, and will present about Eastern and Western architecture in the area and will assist the participants to sketch the urban landscape of the area. The Public Library will also organize a guided tour of the Chinese Ancient Books Chamber at Sir Robert Ho Tung Library on August 11. The aforementioned activities will be conducted in Cantonese without simultaneous interpretation.