National Library of China, Beijing

National Library of China, Beijing

Photograph by Tian-yu Xiong, National Geographic Your Shot

Nearly every seat is filled at the National Library of China in Beijing, which has more than 24 million items—including 35,000 pieces of scripted turtle shells—in its collection. At 1.8 million square feet of total floor area, it's touted as the fifth largest library in the world.