Chinese Studies

Very large database of Chinese works compiled by the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica in Taiwan. Browse subjects and titles using the traditional Chinese siku classification.

Chinese images in the categories of Chinese art, calligraphy, folk art, red (i.e. socialist) art, unearthed objects, old photographs, ancient design, modern graphic design, historical costumes, rare book illustrations, classical painting manuals, typography, and pattern design.

The database collects full-text  historical textual material on the Chinese borderlands dating from the Ming Dynasty to the Republic in the punctuated editions by Zhonghua shuju. It also gives access to Republican monographs, periodicals and government gazettes on the border regions.

This database allows cross yearbook indicator searches and online map generation based on the statistical data originating from the officially published Chinese Statistical Yearbooks. Both functions are not available in the original China Statistical Yearbooks Database (CNKI).

A collection of political newspapers, bulletins, announcements, regulations, proclamations, government reports, white papers, and leader speeches from Chinese central and local government publications. Subjects covered include politics, law, military and national defense, rural management and agriculture, industry, transportation, finance, education, science and technology, and tourism. In Chinese.

Large selection of statistical data published by the Chinese government including census data. Chinese-language version offers more up-to-date and reliable results; best to use the yearbook navigation mode.

Material from many libraries and archives that explores the trading and cultural relationships that emerged between China, America and the Pacific region between the 18th and early 20th centuries.

Database of often colorful pamphlets held at Cornell University, written mostly in English.

Records from the U.S. State Department's Office of Chinese Affairs.

Selected dissertations and theses from various universities in Taiwan, as well as Hong Kong university. Starting date varies.

The e-Book library provides access to eBooks published by the Chinese Social Science Press. Searches for books, book chapters, articles and illustrations are possible. Princeton users have access to a selection of titles.

All editions of this important pro-communist newspaper (Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hankou, Hong Kong, Guilin) are included. Full-text search; results are available in snippets or full page pdf.

Has in addition to Chinese, Japanese and Korean information, also Indian, Tibetan and other references.

Documents on some Chinese frontier regions  from the perspective of British India.

Consists of 79 statistical datasets covering China’s population census (1953-2020), micro-census (1995-2015),  Industrial / Economic census (1985-2018), agricultural census (1996-2016), macro economy, financial markets, industry, trade, resources, and social statistics. The database has a particularly strong focus on city and county statistics. It allows creation of charts and maps and simple analysis. Data can be individually selected and downloaded in various formats: Statistics (Excel), charts (JPEG), maps (Excel, PDF, JPEG).

The database gives full-text access to collections of Buddhist scriptures. It currently includes the Qisha Song Tripitaka and the Zhaocheng Jin Tripitaka.

Full text images of hundreds of thousands of government documents from the Ming and Qing dynasties held at the Academia Sinica, searchable by official, title, matter and document number. To login please click “licensed usage” on the entry website of the database.

Stone inscriptions dating from Han dynasty to the six dynasties collected from a variety of sources, full-text searchable, but copying of text is only possible via a pop-up that will show when a section of text is marked. Where available images of rubbings have been added and can be viewed side by side with the text.

Collection of British government documents on colonial Hong Kong.

Chinese newspaper with international focus, published under auspices of the People's Daily. Also known as Global Times. Use IE.

The database records information on all Jinshi degree holders throughout Chinese history and provides information about their regional and ancestral origin. Accurate and fuzzy searches by regional origin, dynasty, year of degree, last name, etc. are possible. Each entry lists historical sources for the recorded information. A number of options for statistical analysis are also provided (see the database help page).

Also known as Beida fabao, or pkulaw.cn.  Chinese laws, regulations and cases in Chinese (Chinalawinfo) and English/Chinese (Lawinfochina). One concurrent user only.

Searchable database of current popular non-academic Chinese periodicals in literature, general culture, news and politics, popular science, economics and law, education, health and lifestyle, history and finance management. For list see EAL pages.

17 full-text English-language periodicals published on late Qing and Republican China

Free database of government-funded Chinese social sciences journals. Coverage varies, but includes in all cases 2012+.

Full-texts of all issues of 3 Chinese Taipei NPM periodicals.

Comprehensive database of legal materials, including cases, statutes, and regulations of the U.S. government and the various state governments; case law from 1789 to present; current and historical statutes and regulations from 1980 forward. Provides full text of many major global, national, and regional newspapers. 

Primary English language newspaper in China, published in Shanghai.

Detailed guide to Buddhism.

The Princeton Oracle Bones collection (119 pieces), relatively small, is one of several collections assembled by missionary Dr. Frank Herring Chalfant. The oracle bones have been photographed using Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) technology, which enables the end-user to decide upon the angle from which an object is lighted. This allows making all of the carvings on the oracle bones clearly visible.

Records of this internationally staffed bureaucracy under Chinese control.

A collection of 200 volumes on geography, history and customs of Manchuria and Mongolia between late Chosen and 1945 published by Governor-General of Korea. Includes original text images in Japanese (searchable).

In 1906 this Japanese-owned Chinese newspaper was established in Fengtian (today’s Shenyang) by the Japanese journalist Nakajima Masao. It was the highest circulation Chinese language daily newspaper and the most important instrument of Japanese press influence in Manchuria and is a major news resource on events in North-East China. Not full-text searchable, can only be searched on the article title level, but indexes advertisements and images.

Fully searchable collection of 504 original and historical works (3134 volumes) published by the Commercial Press from 1919 to 1936. Original collection used photolithography, which resulted in better editions than the then-available typeset editions. Authoritative editions.

For 1993+, see the ProQuest Central.

Tang dynasty epitaphs collected from a variety of sources, full-text searchable, but copying of text is only possible via a pop-up that will show when a section of text is marked. Where available images of rubbings have been added and can be viewed side by side with the text.

English translations of official edicts and memorials from the Qing dynasty dating from Macartney Mission in 1793 to 1912. The translations are from contemporary English-language sources such as Indo Chinese Gleaner, the China Mail, or the North China Herald, and ultimately go back to items published in the Peking Gazette (Jing bao).

Collection of searchable Taiwanese full-text newspapers from the United Daily News group, including the Lianhebao from 1951.

Full text versions of post-1949 Chinese local gazetteers.

Comprehensive full-text articles from Chinese periodicals and journals, mostly post-2001.

Streaming video of international newsreels produced between 1929 and 1966. All are accompanied by transcripts, with those in foreign languages translated into English.

More than 5,000 full-text searchable Chinese classical works, mostly Qing.

This database, published by Shanghai Jiaotong University Press, gives access to historical local resources (mostly in manuscript form). It include contracts, private and company ledgers, examination documents, medical prescriptions, local theater and opera material, court records, letters, family records, etc. The manuscripts mostly originate from private collections in provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, and Jiangxi. The material dates mainly from the Qing and Republican period, but there are also some Ming and PRC documents included. ACCESS NOTE: You will be prompted to IP authenticate and see this message: "Does the IP automatically log in?". Click "Sure" to continue.

Searchable database of Chinese epigraphical material.

An easy-to-navigate, well-organized site which brings together a large number of databases in Chinese studies available on the Internet (in many different countries). Most databases are free; some need individual registration; a few need individual registration and small payments.