CUHK Library Special Collections Chinese University of Hong Kong

About CUHK Library Special Collections

The Special Collections of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Library house rare books, manuscripts, archival materials, and unique items of significant research value related primarily to Chinese studies, Hong Kong history, and modern literary heritage. Located in the University Library building on the Sha Tin campus, the Special Collections are an integral part of CUHK Library's broader research infrastructure.

History and Founding

CUHK Library was established in 1965 and originally housed in Kowloon before relocating to the Sha Tin campus in 1969. The University Library's current building opened in 1972, expanded in 1993 with the Tin Ka Ping Building, and was further extended in 2012. Special Collections have grown in importance alongside CUHK's status as a major research university in Asia. In January 2021, the Universities Service Centre (USC) Collection, one of the most extensive collections on post-1949 China, became part of Special Collections.

Collections and Holdings

The rare book collection spans Chinese imprints from the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) through the Qianlong period (to 1795), as well as Western rare books published before 1900. The oracle bone collection is the largest of its kind in Hong Kong. The archival collections include the David Hawkes papers, Maurice and Judith Freeman papers, Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee records, and manuscripts by Hong Kong writers and contemporary Chinese writers and poets such as Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian and Bei Dao. Notable newspaper holdings in the USC Collection include provincial and national newspapers and periodicals from the 1950s onward. The Special Collections also include digitized materials accessible through the CUHK Digital Repository.

Access and Usage

Most Special Collections materials are held in closed stacks and available on request in the Special Collections Reading Room. Researchers must complete an Application Form for Access to Archival Materials at least three working days in advance. Digital surrogates are available through the CUHK Digital Repository at repository.lib.cuhk.edu.hk.