One year ago, today, there passed away at his residence, Brookside Lodge, Avenue Haig, Lord Li Ching Mai, the youngest son of Viceroy Li Hung Chang, much to the sorrow of his large and cosmopolitan circle of friends.
As becoming his position and his varied and active life as an official of the Imperial Court, having toured Japan, the United States, England. France, Germany, italy, Austria and Russia, he made a host of friends abroad, while during his years of retirement here in Shanghai after the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty he counted a wide circle of people of many nationalities who were charmed by his cheery personality.
As long ago as 1907 Lord Li returned to China after serving a term as Chinese Minister to Vienna, coinciding with his brother's (Li Ching Fang) appointment as Chinese mi ter to the Court of St. James.
Friends still speak of the many happy garden parties held at Brookside Lodge to view the many floral displays, for gardening was one of Lord Li's hobbies. and for several years he was an active committee member of the Horticultural Society.
Munificent Request It is fitting, therefore, that on this anniversary Lord Li's friends should learn of the fulfilment of his expressed wish to his only son, Kuo Chao—known to his friends as Peter—that his library of over 20,000 volumes, including some very rare wood block prints, should be given to a local authority for the use of the students and public of this city of Shanghai in which he had spent the last twenty years of his life. Brookside Lodge being situated in the French Concession, Mr. Peter Li has handed over his late father's library to the French Municipal Council. Until the new administration buildings are completed the volumes wil be housed at Aurora University on Avenue Dubail.
As an ardent collector the late Lord Li gathered a great number of valuable books, and one can find no more suitable monument to his memory than this collection of tomes, a gift to the rising generation of Young China.
In keeping with Shanghai's growth and change it is learned that Brookside Lodge and its beautiful gardens and lawns will soon be no more, for plans have been made for its subdivision into residential blocks.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.