A Life Between Languages Finds a Home in Shanghai

Some stories are captured in books, while others unfold across cities and languages. In Shanghai, the legacy of Marcela de Juan has found a home that encompasses both.

On April 9, the Instituto Cervantes in Shanghai inaugurated the Marcela de Juan Library, a new cultural space named after the translator, writer and cultural figure whose life moved between China and Spain.

"For us, naming a library is always an act of tribute," said Luis García Montero, director of Instituto Cervantes.

"Across the world, each Cervantes library is dedicated to a figure who represents the richness of Spanish language culture. In Shanghai, it felt only natural to honor someone who truly belonged to both China and Spain."

On display through June 15, the retrospective exhibition "Marcela de Juan: A Life Between Languages" at the library traces her extraordinary life through books, photographs, archival materials, and media records from across China and Spain.

Born in 1905 to a Chinese father and a Belgian mother, Marcela de Juan grew up between Madrid and Beijing. She was one of the first translators to translate Chinese poetry directly into Spanish and challenged Chinese stereotypes in Spanish publications.

"She is not only a translator," García Montero said. "She is a symbol of what it means to live between cultures, to defend diversity and to build dialogue between civilizations."

That message still feels timely. García Montero also spoke about the importance of preserving linguistic diversity in an increasingly interconnected world.

"The world has more than 7,000 languages," he said. "Promoting dialogue between Chinese and Spanish is about defending cultural diversity and coexistence."

The decision to name the library after Marcela de Juan highlights women's cultural history.

"Recognizing her is also a way of recognizing the role of women," he added. "Her work reminds us how essential those voices have always been."

More than a symbolic renaming, the library is meant to be a living space for readers, researchers and anyone interested in connections between China and the Spanish-speaking world.