A.A.M Muzahid, Shanghai, China: Recently, the College of International Education of Shanghai University arranged a wonderful city tour on Dec.9, 2020, for the international students as the foreign students show their keen interests to learn and understand Chinese culture, history, trade and science and innovation. The venue of this trip was at Xujiahui district of Shanghai and visited three famous locations including Xu Guangqi Memorial Museum, Xujiahui meteorological observation station and Xujiahui Library.  I had a chance to take part in this tour and achieved incredible knowledge and experiences of ancient culture and scientific revolution in Shanghai by scientist Xu Guangqi. Here I am going to introduce some more information about those three places that I have learned through the trip and reading some articles on the internet.

Xu Guangqi Memorial Museum

The Xu Guangqi Memorial Hall is a memorial and museum for the Chinese 17th-century scholar Xu Guangqi which is located in Guangqi Park at Xuhui district in Shanghai. The Memorial Hall is divided into four parts; Global Vision, Scientific Spirit, Patriotism and Lofty Sentiments. It collects precious materials such as the portrait of Xu Guangqi, original manuscripts, and writings and works, showing the practical and contemporary significance of Xu Guangqi’s spirit.

Xu Guangqi was a Shanghai-born scientist who became the Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary under the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Xu, who was famously converted to Catholicism by Italian Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci. He became the first of his countrymen to translate European books into the Chinese language, translating with Ricci Western books on mathematics, hydraulics, and geography. Their most famous translation was Euclid’s Elements, which exerted a great influence on Chinese mathematics. Xu became a famous scientist during the 1600s in China.

Xujiahui meteorological observation station

Xujiahui Observatory established in July 1872, which began meteorological observations on December 1, 1872, being the first coastal meteorological observatory in China. Xujiahui Observatory was used to make observations and broadcast forecasts to the people of Shanghai. It was listed in 2005 as an Outstanding Historical Building in Shanghai by the Shanghai municipal government, and in 2014 it was listed as a cultural relic protection unit in Shanghai. The current Xujiahui Observatory was built in 1900 is a three-storied building of The Roman architectural style that features brick walls, red brick window frames, arched windows and vase-shaped railings. This station introduced a meteorological museum where the temperature records are shown from its beginning to till now, instruments and equipment that used to observe and record the forecast in the early time.

Xujiahui Library

Xujiahui Library was founded by Catholic Jesuits in 1847. It is the earliest modern library in Shanghai and it is also the earliest public library in modern China. Xujiahui Library represents the essence of the mutual exchange between eastern and western wisdom. This library is also known as “Shanghai Library Bibliotheca Zi-Ka-Wei”. The original wooden floor, wrought-iron railings and arch windows in its reading rooms, all emanate an antique ethos.