UBC Asian Library is known for its collection of Asian-language scholarly resources to support the research, teaching, and learning activities of scholars, students, and community members at UBC. Have you ever wondered what odd, unique, or wonderful items we have accumulated in the course of building our library collections for over 60 years? We are currently hosting a book exhibit, “Hidden Gems at Asian Library,” to show you some of these unusual and rather special materials usually stored away in our closed stacks.

The exhibit is spread out in two locations: the Asian Centre foyer and inside the Asian Library.

When you enter the Asian Centre, look on your left at the entrance. We have a book display case there showing smaller items of interest, from an otaku figurine to a beautiful replica of a painting depicting Chŏngjo, King of Korea’s visit to Hwasŏng in 1795.

Walk toward the back of the Asian Centre foyer, and you will see a large display case. Here, check out a replica of Hyakumantō Darani (“One Million Pagodas and Dharani Prayers”), Japan’s earliest extant printed material. Can you tell where the printed matter is hidden? There are many other gems displayed in this section, including a Sanskrit bījas and mantras reproduced by the Japanese monk Sō-gen who was active in the 19^th century.

Inside the Asian Library, you will find items exhibited on each floor. On the Upper Floor, you will discover the lovely 1894 printed picture book on the Yangtze River Gorges, a set of Tibetan Buddhist text, a mid-20^th century boxed set of kanji flash cards, a stunningly beautiful reproduction of Kang Youwei’s own manuscript copy of Da tong shu (“The book of great harmony”), and many others gems. Don’t forget to visit the Lower Floor to see a display of the Korean woodblock printed book, Oryun haengsilto (1859) on Confucian ethics, a replica of the Japanese novelist and poet Miyazawa Kenji’s notebook, and others. Finally, on the Main Floor, we have a display case containing a lovely book of rubbings, Xianxie gong jia zhuan, and others, including Specimen pages of Korean movable types. Collected & described by Melvin P. McGovern. The book is open to a page from the Man’guk Yusa [World History, 1896] in which the “great king of Majedon, Aregisanda” is introduced—Alexander the Great of Macedon.

­­We are pleased to be able to feature these gems in the display cases throughout the Library and look forward to welcoming you to our space! The exhibit will be on from now until December 9, 2023.