Bibliotheca Zi-Ka-Wei

Lonely Planet review

Established in 1847 by the local Jesuit mission, the imposing St Ignatius Catholic Library (Bibliotheca Zi-Ka-Wei) shelves 560,000 volumes in Greek, Latin and other languages. The reading room upstairs in the adjacent four-storey building (the one with the verandas) is a blissful oasis of quiet amidst the consumer frenzy of the surrounding area.

The best time to arrive is on Saturdays, when free guided tours of the highlight main library (Dàshū Fáng) are held. English guides are on hand to take you through a truly magnificent collection of antiquarian tomes, arranged in a beautiful historic library laid out on one floor with a gallery above. Wander past tomes on ecclesiastical history, Philosphica, (Things Chinese) and other erudite branches of Jesuit learning. This is one of Shanghai's top sights and the 15-minute tours are limited to 10 people, so it's best to phone ahead to book your place. No photography is allowed here.

Taking up residence on the ground floor is the well-lit and spacious Wan Fung Art Gallery (Yúnfēng Huàyuàn; 云峰画苑; 6487 4072; www.wanfung.com.cn), a further zone of period features, polished floorboards, some spectacular paintings, local sculpture and prints.