Fact Check: World’s largest library was opened in Tianjin, China but not named after Dr BR Ambedkar
A 19-foot-tall statue of Dr B R Ambedkar, labelled ‘Statue of Equality’ was unveiled in the United States of America on October 14, 2023. The statue is part of the Ambedkar International Center (AIC) in Accokeek, Maryland, and is the largest statue of Ambedkar outside India.
Worlds largest library
A 19-foot-tall statue of Dr B R Ambedkar, labelled ‘Statue of Equality’ was unveiled in the United States of America on October 14, 2023. The statue is part of the Ambedkar International Center (AIC) in Accokeek, Maryland, and is the largest statue of Ambedkar outside India.
Meanwhile, a few images are being shared on social media with the claim that they show the world’s largest library built in the USA, in the name of Dr. B R Ambedkar, also known as the Father of the Indian Constitution.
The images are viral with the claim in Hindi that goes: “भारत देश के मशिहा Dr. भीम राव अम्बेदकर जी के नाम अमेरिका ने खोला विश्व का सबसे बडा पुस्तकालय!! शर्म करो मेरे देश के गद्दारों जिस इंसान की तुम मूर्तिया तोड़ते हो उसकी विदेश में कितनी इज्जत है!! जय भीम जय भारत जय संविधान धम्म प्रभात
When translated, it reads: “World’s biggest library was opened in the name of India’s icon Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar in the USA. The nation’s betrayers involved in damaging and demolition of this individual’s statues should feel ashamed that the same person is being revered in a foreign country. Jai Bhim. Jai Bharat.”
Fact Check:
The claim is False. The images show a library in China and not the USA. The library is not named after DR B R Ambedkar.
When searched for DR B R Ambedkar library in the United States of America, we did not find anything but a recently built Ambedkar statue at the Ambedkar International Center (AIC) in Accokeek, Maryland which is the largest statue of Ambedkar outside India.
When we searched the images using Google reverse image search, we found a few articles sharing the same images.
According to india.com, in November 2017, Chinese port city of Tianjin witnessed the inauguration of the Tianjin Binhai Library. It has been built by Dutch company MVRDV, in coordination with the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute, and designed by Starchitect. The Tianjin Binhai Library can hold up to 1.2 million books, which is a figure that should make any bookworm’s eyes pop.
A video published on the YouTube channel of Business Insider on March 10, 2018, shows the Tianjin Binhai Library. The description of the video states that this library is a book lover's dream come true. The Tianjin Binhai Library, Tianjin, China, is spread in 33,700 square meters, has five levels enough shelf space for 1.2 million books. It was completed by Dutch architecture firm MVRDV and local architects from the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute. It's nicknamed "The Eye."
"The angles and curves are meant to stimulate different uses of the space, such as reading, walking, meeting, and discussing. Together they form the 'eye' of the building: to see and be seen." - Winy Maas, Co-founder of MVRDV said.
There's a giant globe in the centre of the library. It has an auditorium hidden inside. The climbable shelving acts as a "book mountain." But there's a catch... Not all of the books are real. You can find a lot of books in other reading spaces beyond the main atrium space. There are sections dedicated to children and education. The library has become a hot spot for tourists since its opening in 2017. It begs for the perfect Instagram photo.
MVRDV website also shares several important points about the Tianjin Benhai library, along with a few images.
Therefore, the viral images belong to a library in Tianjin, China, and not the USA. It is not related to DR B R Ambedkar in any way. The claim is false.