A comprehensive collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings.
Image: University of Johannesburg
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has been selected as one of only four universities worldwide and the only one in Africa to serve as a repository for the Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings, a prestigious scholarly archive donated by Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China.
Valued at approximately R2.2 million, the collection comprises 232 volumes, each containing 12,405 reproductions of ancient Chinese paintings, sourced from 263 museums and cultural institutions worldwide. The donation places UJ among a select group of global institutions entrusted with preserving and providing access to one of the most comprehensive compilations of Chinese artistic heritage ever assembled.
The archive spans more than a millennium of Chinese civilisation and is widely regarded as the most extensive published collection of ancient Chinese paintings. Once fully catalogued, the volumes will be housed in the APK Library at UJ’s Auckland Park Kingsway Campus, supporting research, teaching, and interdisciplinary scholarship across the humanities.
Prof Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya and Prof David Monyae at the official handover ceremony in Hangzhou
Image: University of Johannesburg
UJ Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi said the selection of UJ as a global repository reflects the growing depth of academic collaboration between Africa and China.
“Being selected as one of only four universities globally and the only one in Africa to serve as a repository for the Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings, generously donated by Zhejiang University, is a significant honour for UJ. This important gesture strengthens Africa–China cultural and academic ties while providing our scholars and students with access to thousands of high-quality reproductions spanning more than a millennium of Chinese artistic heritage.”
Professor Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya, Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research and Innovation, added: “The partnership further reinforces UJ’s position as a globally engaged university committed to advancing knowledge, fostering intercultural dialogue and building enduring international academic partnerships.”
Professor David Monyae, Director of the Centre for Africa–China Studies, UJ, said the collection represents a major step forward for scholarship and cultural exchange between Africa and China.
“Hosting this collection at UJ gives scholars and students across the African continent direct access to one of the world’s most significant artistic traditions. It opens new pathways for research, comparative scholarship and deeper engagement with Chinese civilisation, while strengthening the intellectual bridges between Africa and China.”
Recognised among the top 50 universities globally, Zhejiang University is one of China’s leading research institutions. Its collaboration with UJ reflects growing confidence in the University’s leadership in Africa–China scholarship and its role as a trusted custodian of globally significant cultural resources.
Prof Mpedi concluded: “By housing the collection in Johannesburg, UJ significantly expands access on the continent to an important archive of Chinese visual culture that is otherwise largely concentrated in institutions across Asia, Europe and North America. The partnership further reinforces UJ’s position as a globally engaged university committed to advancing knowledge, fostering intercultural dialogue and building long-lasting international academic partnerships.”