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Hospital library in Xi'an brings comfort and solace to patients
Updated: Aug 28, 2026
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A library inside a hospital ward in Xi'an is offering comfort to patients and their families through the power of reading.
Located in the Department of Thoracic Surgery No 3 at Xi'an High-tech Zone International Medical Center, the library has been open for seven months, providing patients and accompanying family members with a space to read, relax and ease anxiety amid illness.
The library was initiated by Wang Wuping, the department director. Inspired by the patient-centered care he experienced during further training at the Mayo Clinic in the US in 2025, he returned to China determined to create a space that could ease patients' fear and loneliness. Despite a shortage of hospital beds, he converted a ward room into a free library.
The library now has 967 donated books, covering Nobel Prize and Mao Dun Literature Prize winners, literary classics, popular science and picture books. Donations have come from medical staff, patients and members of the public, including retired professors and writers, many of whom left warm messages inside the books. The library is free and open to all, with no registration required.
More than 400 photos of pennants line the walls, while simple tables, reading stands and a message book create a quiet reading space in the ward. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
A retired professor who had surgery here returned after recovery to donate books, praising the team for combining medical expertise with a caring touch.
The message book is filled with thanks to medical staff and words of encouragement among patients and families.
The department plans to add more books and hold reading sessions, extending the warmth of the library to more people.
