黃巧嫻撰文： 新亞研究所書(shū)旅｜光影下的靜默對(duì)話

Written by Chantelle Huang：A Journey to the New Asia Institute Library | A Silent Dialogue in Light and Shadow

走進(jìn)新亞研究所圖書(shū)館時(shí)，我並沒(méi)有被建築本身吸引，而是感受到一種安靜而堅(jiān)定的氛圍。這裡的空氣中混合著紙張和木頭的氣息，翻開(kāi)書(shū)頁(yè)的聲音在寧?kù)o裡格外清晰，像是一種與過(guò)去對(duì)話的邀請(qǐng)。

When I first stepped into the library of the New Asia Institute, it was not the architecture that drew my attention, but a quiet and steadfast atmosphere that immediately enveloped me. The air carried the mingled scent of paper and wood, and the sound of pages turning rang with unusual clarity in the silence—as if inviting me into a conversation with the past.

新亞圖書(shū)館的誕生並不容易。早年亞洲文商學(xué)院時(shí)期，沒(méi)有固定校舍，書(shū)籍只能靠老師私人捐贈(zèng)或外借維持。1953年研究所成立後才有了小型圖書(shū)館，隨著校舍遷至農(nóng)圃道，館藏逐漸擴(kuò)展，終於形成一個(gè)完整的學(xué)術(shù)空間。這樣的歷史背景，使圖書(shū)館帶著一種由困境中孕育的意義，它不是順理成章的存在，而是一代人努力與信念的成果。

The library’s beginnings were far from easy. In the early years of the Asiatic College of Commerce and Arts, there was no permanent campus, and the few books available came from teachers’ private collections or were borrowed from outside. Only with the establishment of the Institute in 1953 did a small library take shape. As the campus later moved to Farm Road,the collection steadily expanded, eventually forming a complete academic space. This history endows the library with a meaning born of hardship. It is not the product of inevitability, but the result of effort and conviction carried forward by a generation。

如今，圖書(shū)館藏書(shū)約十三萬(wàn)冊(cè)，集中於文、史、哲領(lǐng)域。更特別的是，它收藏了不少珍本，如《明實(shí)錄》（南監(jiān)本）、明版《魏書(shū)》、彭元瑞註《五代史記註》，以及惠棟親批的《說(shuō)文解字》。還有石印《紅樓夢(mèng)》、原刊《通志堂經(jīng)解》等。當(dāng)我在書(shū)架前凝視這些典籍時(shí)，心中生起的不是單純的研究興趣，而是一種安靜的敬意。這些書(shū)承載著歷史，也映照出新亞在香港教育史中的角色。

Today, the library houses some 130,000 volumes, with a focus on literature, history, and philosophy. Particularly remarkable are its rare editions, such as the Ming Veritable Records (Nanjian edition), the Ming edition of the Book of Wei, Peng Yuanrui’s annotated Records of the Five Dynasties, and Hui Dong’s personally annotated Shuowen Jiezi. The collection also includes treasures such as a lithograph of Dream of the Red Chamber and the original edition of Tongzhitang Jingjie. Standing before these works, I felt not merely the curiosity of research, but a quiet reverence. These volumes embody history itself, while also reflecting the role of New Asia in Hong Kong’s educational journey。

坐在閱覽室裡，我翻開(kāi)一本線裝古籍。泛黃的紙張?jiān)谥讣忸潉?dòng)，帶來(lái)一種時(shí)間流動(dòng)的感覺(jué)。讀書(shū)的同時(shí)，我意識(shí)到自己並不只是單向地吸收知識(shí)，而是與這些書(shū)彼此凝視。它們?cè)?jīng)被不同的手翻閱、被不同的眼睛注視，而今天，它們將這份歷史的重量傳遞到我身上。

Seated in the reading room, I opened a stitched-bound classic. The yellowed pages trembled lightly beneath my fingertips,carrying with them a sense of time flowing. In that moment, I realized I was not simply absorbing knowledge; I was meeting the gaze of the books themselves. They had been handled by countless hands and observed by countless eyes, and now they were passing the weight of that history on to me.

午後的光線從窗格灑落，落在書(shū)桌和頁(yè)面上。那一刻，閱讀不只是學(xué)術(shù)行為，更像是一種心靈的安定。每一次翻頁(yè)都提醒我，這裡的書(shū)籍不僅保存了知識(shí)，也保存了一種精神——在艱難中仍要傳承文化，不讓思想斷絕。

In the afternoon, light poured through the lattice windows, settling upon the desk and the open pages. Reading, in that moment, was not only an academic pursuit, but also a quiet anchoring of the spirit. Each turn of a page reminded me that these books preserve more than knowledge — they safeguard a cultural spirit, a determination to carry tradition forward despite hardship, ensuring that thought is never extinguished.

離開(kāi)時(shí)，我仍感覺(jué)書(shū)頁(yè)翻動(dòng)的聲音在耳邊回響。新亞研究所圖書(shū)館的特別之處，就在於它不僅是學(xué)術(shù)的場(chǎng)域，更是一段歷史和一種精神的見(jiàn)證。在這裡，閱讀成為一種儀式：既是知識(shí)的探索，也是與時(shí)代對(duì)話的方式。這場(chǎng)書(shū)旅沒(méi)有結(jié)束，而是延續(xù)在每一位讀者的心中。

When I left, the sound of turning pages still echoed in my ears. What makes the New Asia Institute Library remarkable is that it is more than an academic site; it is a living witness to history and spirit. Here, reading becomes ritual: both an exploration of knowledge and a dialogue with time itself. This journey through books does not end, but continues in the heart of every reader.

或許，下次當(dāng)你走進(jìn)這裡時(shí)，也會(huì)有相同的體驗(yàn)。坐在木桌旁，聽(tīng)著翻頁(yè)的聲音，看光線在紙頁(yè)上移動(dòng)，你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己不僅是讀者，更成了這段歷史的一部分。圖書(shū)館的靜謐不會(huì)拒人於千里，而是邀請(qǐng)每一位走近的人，去感受書(shū)香背後的時(shí)代回聲。

Perhaps, when you next walk into this place, you will feel the same. Sitting at a wooden desk, listening to the whisper of pages,watching the light move across them, you may realize that you are not only a reader, but also a part of this history. The library’s silence does not keep visitors at a distance; rather, it invites each of us to step closer, to sense the echoes of an era that still breathe behind the fragrance of its books.

作者介紹

Introduction of the author

黃巧嫻

Chantelle Huang

香港國(guó)際青年藝術(shù)家協(xié)會(huì)會(huì)長(zhǎng)暨公共事務(wù)營(yíng)運(yùn)總監(jiān)

Society President Chief Public Affairs and Operating Officer of HIYA

畢業(yè)於知名藝術(shù)學(xué)院，醉心於藝術(shù)，致力幫助本地有潛質(zhì)的藝術(shù)創(chuàng)作者，讓藝術(shù)家和社會(huì)大眾來(lái)探索藝術(shù)價(jià)值，成就不同事業(yè)。

Graduated from a well-known art institute, she is dedicated to helping local artists with potential to explore the value of art and the community to achieve different careers.