Since the late Qing Dynasty,as important social institutions to nurture people’s wisdom and support education,modern libraries and museums started to develop in China. Zhang Jian,by inheriting the reformists’ idea of developing libraries and museums close to each other,proposed and carried out the construction of libraries and museums in the same area. By reviewing the background,concrete examples and historical influence of this model,this paper suggests that the essence of Zhang Jian’s attempt was to combine the notions of saving the nation through education and coordinated regional development. His idea also facilitates the rise of modern libraries and museums in China.