Guangzhou Library
The 2013 city library on the east side of Huacheng Square: two stacked, cantilevered slabs that read as the Chinese character for 'it' (之) from the square. It is the one building on the axis you can simply walk into: no ticket, no booking, security check only. Nine floors, with the reading floors open to 21:00, a multicultural library on the 8th floor with foreign-language collections including English, French, German, Japanese and Korean, and a free reader card that the rules explicitly issue on a foreign passport.
None to enter. Reader card: remote registration on the 广图+ WeChat mini-program 'on a valid identity document' — the guide's definition includes a foreign passport; the WeChat official account, 粤读通 and the 广州图书馆 Alipay mini-program take Chinese ID only; or the main service desk on 1F with the passport (self-service machines take Chinese ID only)
Passport required; see details for entry handling. None to enter; a reader card (for borrowing) is issued free 'to Chinese citizens and foreign nationals on a valid document — ID card, ... foreign passport, permanent-residence card'
On weekend afternoons every seat on floors 3-7 is taken; weekday mornings after 9:00 the 7F science floor and the 8F multicultural library are near empty. The 9F Guangzhou humanities floor and 8F close at 17:30.
8F 'Multicultural Library' holds foreign-language collections for the US, Mexico, Germany, the UK, France, Russia, Korea, Japan and Chinese-speaking regions (floor guide); the English website (gzlib.org.cn/english) carries service notices and a 'Reader Registration Service Guide'.
How to visit
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