黃巧嫻撰文： 新亞研究所書旅｜光影下的靜默對話

黃巧嫻撰文： 新亞研究所書旅｜光影下的靜默對話

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

走進新亞研究所圖書館時，我並沒有被建築本身吸引，而是感受到一種安靜而堅定的氛圍。這裡的空氣中混合著紙張和木頭的氣息，翻開書頁的聲音在寧靜裡格外清晰，像是一種與過去對話的邀請。

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.

新亞圖書館的誕生並不容易。早年亞洲文商學院時期，沒有固定校舍，書籍只能靠老師私人捐贈或外借維持。1953年研究所成立後才有了小型圖書館，隨著校舍遷至農圃道，館藏逐漸擴展，終於形成一個完整的學術空間。這樣的歷史背景，使圖書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，圖書館藏書約十三萬冊，集中於文、史、哲領域。更特別的是，它收藏了不少珍本，如《明實錄》（南監本）、明版《魏書》、彭元瑞註《五代史記註》，以及惠棟親批的《說文解字》。還有石印《紅樓夢》、原刊《通志堂經解》等。當我在書架前凝視這些典籍時，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，我翻開一本線裝古籍。泛黃的紙張在指尖顫動，帶來一種時間流動的感覺。讀書的同時，我意識到自己並不只是單向地吸收知識，而是與這些書彼此凝視。它們曾經被不同的手翻閱、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，落在書桌和頁面上。那一刻，閱讀不只是學術行為，更像是一種心靈的安定。每一次翻頁都提醒我，這裡的書籍不僅保存了知識，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.

離開時，我仍感覺書頁翻動的聲音在耳邊回響。新亞研究所圖書館的特別之處，就在於它不僅是學術的場域，更是一段歷史和一種精神的見證。在這裡，閱讀成為一種儀式：既是知識的探索，也是與時代對話的方式。這場書旅沒有結束，而是延續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，下次當你走進這裡時，也會有相同的體驗。坐在木桌旁，聽著翻頁的聲音，看光線在紙頁上移動，你會發現自己不僅是讀者，更成了這段歷史的一部分。圖書館的靜謐不會拒人於千里，而是邀請每一位走近的人，去感受書香背後的時代回聲。

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

香港國際青年藝術家協會會長暨公共事務營運總監

Society President Chief Public Affairs and Operating Officer of HIYA

畢業於知名藝術學院，醉心於藝術，致力幫助本地有潛質的藝術創作者，讓藝術家和社會大眾來探索藝術價值，成就不同事業。

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.