Chinese Book Donation to the National Library Marks the 77th Anniversary of the Establishment of Hungarian–Chinese Diplomatic Relations

2026/10/12

The Hungarian–Chinese Youth Friendship Association has donated a collection of Chinese-language books to our library to mark the 77th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and China. At the formal book donation ceremony, held on Friday, 2 October 2026, members of the Chinese delegation learned about the history of the National Széchényi Library, its professional activities and digitisation work, as well as the unique treasures in its collections relating to Chinese culture.

The delegation was welcomed at the National Széchényi Library by Judit Gerencsér, Acting Director General. In addition to the Acting Director General, the National Library was represented at the formal handover ceremony by Dr Etele Szüts, Director of the Library Institute; István Horváth, Acting Director of the National Library of Foreign Literature; Dr Gergely Bokodi-Oláh, Head at the Department of Research and Special Collections; and Katalin Bubnó Takács, Head of the Library of Book History, Library and Information Science.

Among the Chinese guests were Liu Qichen, President of the New Education Foundation, and Conrad Ho, Executive Vice President of the Hong Kong Y. Elite Association and Adviser to the New Education Foundation. Both are members of the All-China Youth Federation.

The purpose of the formal handover ceremony was to enrich the holdings of the National Széchényi Library with a collection of Chinese-language books donated by the Hungarian–Chinese Youth Friendship Association. The donated volumes will support research on China in Hungary and help raise public awareness of Chinese culture. They may also contribute to further strengthening cultural, educational and scientific ties between the two countries.

The event was also attended by Zsanett Ihász, Vice President of the Hungarian–Chinese Youth Friendship Association, who emphasised the significance of the formal handover in her welcoming remarks. She highlighted that the donation would support the international translation and distribution of publications on Chinese education, while also strengthening cultural and educational relations.

In her brief welcome address, Judit Gerencsér spoke about the importance of professional cooperation between Hungarian and Chinese libraries and cultural institutions, the achievements of their collaboration in recent years, and the value of professional dialogue and the exchange of experience.

She emphasised that professional ties between the National Széchényi Library and its Chinese partners had grown increasingly intensive in recent years. An important milestone in this cooperation was the 4th China–Central and Eastern European Countries Forum of Library Directors, held in Budapest in 2025.

In recent years, professionals from the two countries have met in Nanjing, Chengdu, Yulin and Beijing, while the National Library has welcomed representatives of Chinese library, publishing and cultural institutions to Budapest. Professional cooperation has expanded through agreements, book donations, reciprocal visits and joint programmes.

Relations continued to strengthen in 2026, with Chinese library and publishing professionals visiting the National Széchényi Library and representatives of the institution participating in professional programmes and meetings in China. The book donation ceremony on 2 October 2026 marked another milestone in this long-term professional partnership.

In the next part of the programme, the guests had the opportunity to discover unique items in the National Library's collections relating to Chinese culture. During a presentation of selected items, Dr Gergely Bokodi-Oláh introduced documents illustrating European theatrical interpretations of Chinese culture.

Two groups of documents from the theatre history collection of the library were at the centre of the presentation. The first related to Miss Diamond Stream by Hsiung, which premiered at the National Theatre in 1936, directed by Antal Németh, with set and costume designs by Álmos Jaschik and choreography by Aurél Milloss. The second group of documents concerned the 1927 Budapest premiere of Puccini's opera Turandot. The materials illustrated how encounters between different cultures can give rise to new interpretations and artistic forms.

Following the professional programme, the delegation took a guided tour of the library led by Réka G. Albert, a member of the Director General's Office at the National Széchényi Library. The guests explored Building F of Buda Castle Palace and visited spaces associated with the history of the National Library. The tour also included the Vershaza exhibition, which focuses on the manuscripts and most significant printed editions of three iconic Hungarian poems preserved in the National Library: Himnusz (National Anthem), Szózat (Appeal) and Nemzeti dal (National Song).

To conclude the programme, Barnabás Manó Kukár, Deputy Director of the Directorate for Digital Content Development, presented the library's digitisation infrastructure and activities. The delegation gained insight into the complex workflows involved in digitisation, as well as the processing of legal deposit copies.

The book donation ceremony held on 2 October 2026 was another tangible achievement in Hungarian–Chinese library and cultural cooperation, as well as an important milestone in further strengthening educational, scientific and professional ties between the two countries.

Delegation of the Zhejiang Publishing Group at the National Library
The National Széchényi

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