Built before 1894, this beautiful mansion today houses Sir Robert Ho Tung Library. It was bought by the namesake Hong Kong businessman in 1918 to serve as a retreat, but eventually became his residence during World War II, between 1941 and 1945. The three story mansion located close to Dom Pedro V Theatre is an example of Macanese-style architecture, with interiors featuring Chinese influences, while the garden has a Western landscape with rare botanical plants.
When Sir Robert Ho Tung died in 1956 he willed the property to the government, with the intention that it would become a public library. It officially opened to the general public in 1958. In 2006 the building was expanded, making it the biggest public library in Macau.
The library’s collection is mainly comprised of ancient books, works of literature, history, philosophy, art and architecture as well as audiovisual materials. Its collection includes a little over 4,000 rare books and over 100,000 general books.
Besides keeping an impressive collection, Sir Robert Ho Tung Library has designated areas available for study, cultural activities, indoor and outdoor reading area, children’s reading area, multimedia area, leisure area and more.
Opening hours: Mondays from 2:00pm to 8:00pm; Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00am to 8:00pm
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