Liyuan Library: Experiencing Beijing’s Most Instagrammable Library

Libraries have played an integral role throughout human history as a place where knowledge is stored, protected, and passed down from generation to generation. But due to limited access and living in the age of the Internet, these houses of knowledge have mostly become obsolete.

We say mostly because there is still a certain fondness that exists for the utilitarian functions of a library, and their inherent conduciveness for learning thanks to the quiet ambiance such places possess. That’s why we decided to venture out to the village of Jiaojiehe, in the mountainous region of Huairou north of Beijing, to check out the minimalist architectural wonder known as Liyuan Library.

Built and designed in 2011 by Li Xiaodong, an architecture professor at Tsinghua University, Li saw Liyuan Library as a way to draw visitors to the surrounding forgotten village, and help promote its economic development. Since being constructed, the library has been featured in numerous architectural and international publications, not only because of its unique structural characteristics but also because of its isolated and serene location.

Using the village and its landscape as his inspiration, one of the building’s most distinct features are its use of local fruit tree branches along the roof and exterior to almost camouflage the facade with its surroundings. This decision also gives Liyuan’s interior the perfect amount of ambient lighting during the day and helps keep the glass and steel box structure relatively cool during warmer months by providing just the right amount of shade. This combination of a unique design and remote location has since turned this sleepy village outpost into a travel destination for about 400 people every weekend between mid-April to mid-October. Getting there, however, is no real easy feat.

At a 50km drive from the city center, which depending on traffic can take you up to three hours to reach, we recommend arriving as early as possible so as to cut the weekend lines, which can get painfully long. We first rode the subway to Houshayu on Line 15 befoe catching a Didi, who took us the rest of the way. It wasn’t easy to find, and we had to turn around at one point because the road Didi directed us to take was closed. It also got even more confusing because there wasn’t much cellular service as you begin to traverse up the mountain. All in all, though, the drive up these summits provided many stunning views. There were a couple of moments where you could even spot unrestored guard towers on the Great Wall that are likely to have been untouched for years due to their hard-to-reach strategic positions.

Upon entering the site, you’ll start to see a couple of signs pointing you in the way of Liyuan Library and pass a couple of small restaurants. If you arrive by car, they ask that you pay a RMB 5 parking fee. Once you get out of the car, there’s a small concession stand that can come in handy as this is your last chance to get some liquids or a quick snack before reaching the library, which is about a five-minute walk down a gravel road.

The scene is immediately impressive. The elongated box structure covered in dead tree limbs is perfectly nestled among mountains and a small pond with a greenish blue hue. The one thing that didn’t look tranquil however was the line of 30 people waiting to get into the minimalist structure. We had arrived at around 1.30pm, the library having just reopened after a two-hour lunch break. We then discovered that the library has a limited capacity of 40 people at all times. Though the restriction makes sense, it's annoying to wait given that the turnover of people leisurely flipping through pages is unlikely to proceed at any rapid pace. That's why in fact we ended up waiting for two hours just to get in. Luckily, the line was mostly in the shade, and there were plenty of places to explore while you or someone else in your party maintains that precious place in line.

After reaching the front of the line, you’ll be asked to remove your shoes to keep the space clean, so make sure to come wearing a clean pair of socks to avoid adding some unpleasantness to the lovely woodsy odor of the venue. The interior is equally impressive as the facade, filled with wooden steps and open floor space for sitting. As we mentioned before, there is great natural lighting provided as the sunlight is obstructed by thousands of branches fastened to the exterior. Just enough light to get you in the mood to start digging into the book of your choosing.

The majority of the books here are in Chinese, but not all. Both the kids and adult sections have a decent amount of books in English, but nothing compared to your neighborhood bookseller. We realized quickly that this was more of a place to soak in the atmosphere, not their shallow collection of used books, which included titles ranging from JD Salinger’s Nine Stories and Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, to less desirable informational reads like Skype Hacks: Tips and Tools for Cheap, Fun, Innovative Phone Service.  Despite this lack of choice, it was probably the most “Instagrammable” library we had ever visited. And that’s what a majority of the people seemed to be doing there, despite the numerous signs prohibiting photography.

After spending an hour reading our Kindle in the company of other hardcore readers, we decided it was time to soak in a little more of the scenic offerings available around the perimeter, which can also be a pleasant place to get some reading done. As we were exiting, we encountered a little shouting match with an angry visitor who arrived about an hour before closing time to at least an hour long wait in line. Don’t let this happen to you by doing your utmost to get there when they open at 9am, to ensure hours of reading pleasure. As the old saying goes, “the early bird gets the worm,” or in this case the bookworm we suppose.

Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times, and children under the age of three will not be admitted.

Liyuan Library
Sat-Sun 9-11.30am, 1.30-4.30pm. Zhihui Valley, Jiaojiehe Village, Yanxi Town, Huairou District (139 1010 5454)
篱苑书屋  怀柔区雁栖镇交界河村智慧谷

This article originally appeared on our sister site beijingkids.

Photos: Kipp Whittaker