Chinese Studies
Selected digital resources for conducting research in Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan
Archival Sources
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Grand Secretariat archives 內閣大庫檔案This database contains over four thousand Ming documents and more than three hundred thousand volumes of Qing archival materials.
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中国地方历史文献数据库 The Database of Chinese Historical Local ArchivesFull-text searchable database containing local archives from Huizhou (Anhui Province) 徽州文书, Shicang (Zhejiang Province) 石仓文书, and Poyanghu (Jiangxi Province) 鄱阳湖文书. Types of archives include contracts, account books, correspondence, legal documents, genealogy, and papers related to examination, education, medicine, and folk arts.
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中国司法档案数据库·江津卷 The Database of Chinese Judicial Archives (Jiangjin section)Full-text searchable database of judicial documents sourced from the Jiangjin District Archive (Chongqing). Contains over 1,800 volumes, 120,000 pages of litigation files from 1911 to 1949.
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张乐天联民村数据库 Zhang Letian Fieldwork DatabaseThis database is a collection of rare primary source materials from Mao-era China. For a full description, please see this webpage.
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China, America and the Pacific: Trade and Cultural ExchangeThis database explores the cultural and trading relationships that emerged between America, China and the Pacific region between the 18th and early 20th centuries. It includes manuscripts, rare printed sources, visual images, objects, and maps from international libraries and archives.
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China: Trade, Politics and Culture 1793-1980It contains archival sources from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and British Library.
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China: Culture and SocietyRare pamphlets from the Charles W. Wason Collection on East Asia at Cornell University Library.
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Foreign Office Files for China, 1919-1980Sourced from the National Archives, Kew--the UK government's official archive, this database currently contains five sections: 1919-1929, Kuomintang, CCP and the Third International || 1930-1937, The Long March, civil war in China and the Manchurian Crisis || 1949-1956, The Communist Revolution || 1957-1966, The Great Leap Forward || 1967-1980, The Cultural Revolution
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China and the Modern World (Gale)Access to eight modules of archival materials:
Diplomacy and Political Secrets, 1869–1950 || Hong Kong, Britain, and China, Part I: 1841–1951 & Part II: 1965–1993 || Missionary, Sinology, and Literary Periodicals, 1817–1949 || Records of the Maritime Customs Service of China, 1854–1949 || Records of Shanghai and the International Settlement, 1836–1955 || Imperial China and the West, Part I: 1815–1881 & Part II: 1865-1905
For more information about each module, please see here. -
Chinese studies related modules in Archives Unbound (Gale)FBI File on Owen Lattimore || China: Records of the U.S. Department of State, 1930-1939: Part 1&2 || China: Records of the U.S. Department of State, 1940-1944 || China: Records of the U.S. Department of State, 1945-1949 || Chinese Civil War and U.S.-China Relations: Records of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Chinese Affairs, 1945-1955 || Country Intelligence Reports/State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research Reports: China || Policing the Shanghai International Settlement, 1894-1945 || Political, Economic, and Military Conditions in China: Reports and Correspondence of the U.S. Military Intelligence Division, 1918-1941 || The Amerasia Affair, China, and Postwar Anti-Communist Fervor || Chinese Maritime Customs Service: The Customs’ Gazette, 1869-1913 || Shanghai Municipal Council: The Municipal Gazette, 1908-1940 || The Minutes of the Shanghai Municipal Council, 1854-1943 (The minutes taken from July 1854 to December 1906 are handwritten while the rest are typewritten; can be used in combination with the printed version: 工部局董事会会议录 / 上海市档案馆编; 上海共同租界工部局年報) || Shanghai International Settlement: Shanghai Municipal Council Reports, Minutes of Ratepayers Meetings, and Shanghai Volunteer Corps || Tiananmen Square and U.S.-China Relations, 1989-1993
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Area Studies: China and Southeast AsiaThis database contains: (1) China through Western Eyes; (2) China Inland Mission, 1865-1951; (3) Asian Economic History.
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Nanjing Massacre Testimonies, 1937-1938 (through Visual History Archive)Includes 30 audiovisual testimonies of survivors of the 1937-38 Nanjing Massacre. These testimonies are in Mandarin and were conducted in Nanjing, China through a partnership with the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall.
Click here for more information about VHA. -
The Second Historical Archive of China 中國第二歷史檔案館檔案查詢系統Located in Nanjing, the Second Historical Archive of China houses massive body of Republic-period documents (1912-1949). The archival materials regarding the Beiyang government period (1912-1928) have been made openly searchable and accessible as of March 2015.
For Research on Modern China
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Chinese Periodical Full-text Database (1911-1949)These two databases are located in the same platform and can be cross-searched. 晚清 database includes over 600 periodicals published between 1833 and 1911, and 民国 database includes over 25,000 periodicals published between 1912 and 1949.
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Compilation of Chinese Medicine Periodicals Online, 1897-1952Collection of 49 different periodicals on Chinese medicine published in the Late Qing and Republican Periods in China.
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The North-China Daily News & Herald Newspapers and Hong Lists (1850~1951) 字林洋行中英文报纸全文数据库Covers the English and Chinese newspapers published by North-China Daily News & Herald, Limited, the largest British-founded press agency in Shanghai. Newspaper titles include The North-China Herald 北华捷报,The North-China Daily News 字林西报, The Chinese Shipping List & Advertiser 上海新报, Hu Bao 沪报, Han Bao 汉报, Xiao Xian Bao 消闲报, and The North-China Desk Hong List 字林西报行名录.
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Chinese Newspapers of Modern China - The Tabloids (1897~1949) 中国近代中文报纸全文数据库 - 小报库(1897~1949)Sourced from the Shanghai Library, this database covers over 400 titles of tabloids featuring approximately 400,000 pages in total.
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Translations of the Peking Gazette OnlineApproximately 8,500 pages of English-language renderings of official edicts and memorials from China’s long nineteenth century.
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Chinese Newspapers Collection, 1832-1953Fully searchable database of 12 English-language newspapers published in China.
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North China HeraldFull-text database of the North China Herald, the most important English weekly published in Shanghai from the 1850s to the 1940s.
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South China Morning Post (1903-2001)This premier English-language title gives researchers new insights into Hong Kong's unique political and social history during the 20th century.
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Mobilizing East Asia OnlineEnglish-language newspapers, magazines, pamphlets and books covering the history of East and Southeast Asia from the turn of the 20th century into the 1950s.
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Hongkong Weekly Press OnlineOnline collection of this English-language weekly newspaper covering issues published during the 1920s.
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Shen bao 申報Full-text database (with PDF images of the original print version) of a most important modern Chinese newspaper. Include all 27534 issues (Shanghai, Hankou, and Hong Kong versions) published from April 30, 1872 to May 27, 1949.
Two concurrent user limit. -
Modern Chinese Newspaper Series Database 中國近代報刊This platform includes two series of newspapers : 中央日報 (1928-1949) and 臺灣民報系列 (1920-1932). 臺灣民報系列 includes four newspapers: 臺灣民報 (1923-1930), 臺灣新民報 (1930-1932), 臺灣 (1923-1924), and 臺灣青年 (1920-1922).
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Zhongyang Ribao 中央日报 (Central Daily News), 1949-2006Full-text searchable database of Kuomingtang's (KMT) official newspaper. Content before 1949 can be accessed through 中國近代報刊 platform listed above.
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Taiwan Nichinichi Shinpō 臺灣日日新報 Taiwan Daily NewsAn official newspaper of the Taiwanese government under Japanese colonial rule. Database includes 臺灣日日新報 (1898-1944), 漢文日日新報 (1905-1911), and 臺灣新報 (1896-1897).
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Apabi Chinese Digital Newspaper CollectionIncluding current issues (updated daily) and back issues (of various starting dates) of 26 newspapers published in China, such as 环球时报, 南方周末, 新华每日电讯, 南方都市报, and 新民晚报. Note: Click "数字报纸" tab to access. Full-text searchable via "高级搜索" function (button located at upper right corner).
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CNKI China Core Newspapers 中国重要报纸全文数据库This full-text database is a part of the CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) e-resources package provided by EastView Information Services. Search guide.
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UDNdata Newspaper Database 聯合知識庫全文報紙資料庫Covers 8 important Taiwanese newspapers, including United Daily News, Minsheng Daily, United Evening News, Economic Daily News, and Star News.
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China Infobank 中国资讯行This database provides access to real time business news, China general news articles and magazines, information and statistics on government, reports and statistics of various industries and regions in China. Indexed and updated daily.
Note: Three concurrent user limit.
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Current Digest of the Chinese PressWeekly digestible collection of English-language translation of the articles from key Chinese newspapers on such topics as politics, international relations, security, economics, business, public health, environment, education, culture and more. Articles are selected from a wide variety of sources in China, all of which are explicitly targeted on a domestic – not foreign – audience.
New feature: "Trending News on Chinese Social Media" looks beyond the official state-controlled news outlets to explore relevant stories largely unnoticed by Western readers. -
Renmin Ribao 人民日报 (People's Daily)Full-text database (with PDF images of the orginal print version) of Chinese Communist Party's most important newspaper. Cover 1946-2008.
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People's Daily (1946-present)This database is acquired to address the growing amount of difficulties accessing the one listed above. Content updated frequently.
Note: Two concurrent user limit. -
Guangming Ribao 光明日报Full-text database (with PDF images of the orginal print version) of China's most important official newspaper. Cover 1949-2010.
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The Global Times 环球时报Full-text searchable database of a daily newspaper from China focusing on international relations and foreign affairs. Updated daily. Covers the full run from January 1993.
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Jiefangjun Bao 解放军报 (People's Liberation Army Daily )Full-text database of communist China's most important military newspaper.
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Beijing Review 北京周报Full-text database of the English, French, Dutch, Japanese, and Spanish versions of the Beijing Review, the most circulated foreign language magazine published by the PRC government since the 1950s.
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South China Morning Post (1993-)One of the most influential English-language newspaper published in Hong Kong.
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CNKI China Government Gazettes Full-text Database 中国政报公报期刊文献总库A comprehensive collection of government gazettes, bulletins, announcements, and proclamations. It contains national and local laws and regulations from Chinese government departments at all levels and is updated frequently. Currently there are 380,000 post-1994 items, with some titles covering retrospectively from the first issue.
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CNKI China Yearbooks Full-Text Database 中国年鉴全文数据库Contains several hundred yearbooks published by China's central, provincial, and municipal government.
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China Local Gazetteers 中国新方志数据库Contains a wide variety of local gazetteers published after 1990. As of Feb. 2020, the platform contains 47,000+ titles.
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The Database for the History of Contemporary Chinese Political Movements, 1949- 中國當代政治運動史數據庫This database contains the following four modules: the Political Campaigns in the 1950s; the Great Leap Forward- Great Famine; the Anti-Rightist Campaign; the Cultural Revolution.
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China on Film: Twentieth Century Sources from the British Film InstituteA collection of films from the British Film Institute featuring China from 1900 to 1997. The films are a combination of professional and amateur films including travelogues, newsreels, and documentaries.
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Chinese Film and Newsreel Scripts from the Cultural Revolution OnlineIn addition to transcripts for the documentary films and newsreels from 1966 to 1976, collection of film advertisements and transcripts of Chinese documentary films and newsreels spans the years 1946 to 1985.
Please use this index for detailed information of each item. -
EPS China StatisticsEPS China Statistics presents series of statistical databases on China, which are sourced from industrial, regional and national organizations, and covers various subjects, industries, fields, and all regions of China. It features timely and regularly updated statistical databases, including over 1.2 million basic and combined indicators in time series with a yearly increment of about 30 million numeric data.
Available in both English and Chinese.
Enter the English version: Click "Enter the Databases" button in the upper right corner.
Enter the Chinese version: Click "Chinese" button at the upper right corner of the English interface, click "进入数据库" button in the upper right corner, and click "IP登录" if you see a pop-up window.
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Soshoo 搜数This database provides full search function to China-related statistical data, covering Mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. As of April 2015, the Chinese-language interface of Soshoo includes 7030 volumes of statistical materials and 1,536,360 tables, and the English-language version contains 258 titles of yearbooks and 114,083 tables. All data can be exported as Excel form.
Note: Three concurrent user limit.
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China Law Info 北大法律信息网Covers wide variety of primary and secondary resources of Chinese law in both English and Chinese.
Please note: This database is subscribed by the Law Library.
For Research on Pre-Modern China
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Scripta Sinica 漢籍全文資料庫Full-text database of pre-modern Chinese written works. Developed by Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan. Search guide.
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CHANT: Chinese Ancient TextsFull-text database of early (pre-7th century) Chinese written works produced by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Search guide.
Note: The interface has been redesigned. Now the log-in is automatic--no need to click anywhere.
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Chinese Text ProjectA widely used open-access digital library of pre-modern Chinese writing. With over thirty thousand titles, 25 million pages of scanned primary source materials, and more than five billion characters of transcribed text, it is the largest database of its type.
U-M's subscription to this digital library enables faculty and students to easily and efficiently access full-text data for digital humanities research and teaching use, through both the online web interface by means of a variety of plugins, as well as through other specialized mechanisms such as data mining APIs (more information). -
Zhonghua Ancient Books Database 中华经典古籍数据库This is a database of ancient books created by Zhonghua Book Company 中華書局 (ZHBC). All the materials included are proofread, collated, and published by ZHBC, covering Confucian classics, history, philosophy, and literature. This database features the Twenty-Four Histories, annotation and commentaries of Thirteen Classics in the Qing Dynasty, collection of historical notes, and basics of classical literature, among many others. Currently there are 630 titles in the database, with 400 million characters.
Note: Two concurrent user limit. -
中国基本古籍库 Zhongguo ji ben gu ji kuA full-text database of 10,000 important classical works (13 million pages and 1.9 billion characters) from pre-Qin period to the early 20th century, including classics, basic literature, and special works of various disciplines. Full text can be viewed side-by-side with images from one or two editions.
Two concurrent users limit. -
Diao long: Zhong Ri gu ji quan wen zi liao ku 雕龍: 中日古籍全文資料庫U-M subscription to this database includes three modules: 敦煌史料, 續修四庫全書, and 永樂大典.
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Unihan Databases 書同文古籍數據庫Includes full-text databases of 中醫中藥古籍, 歷代書畫文集, 四部叢刊, 四部備要, 十通, 清代史料文獻, 明代史料文獻, 歷代石刻史料彙編, and 清宫避暑山庄档案.
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Siku quanshu 四庫全書Digital version of the Wenyuan Ge 文淵閣 copy of the Siku quanshu. IP log-in for on-campus use only. Off-campus log-in instruction please see here.
Please note:
Individual user should install the client program to personal work station before accessing to the database. Please go to http://www.eastview.com/online/sikudownload to download the program. -
Gujin tushu jicheng 古今圖書集成Online version of the famous Qing Dynasty encyclopedia.
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Zhongguo Su Wen Ku 中國俗文庫This is a full-text database of pre-modern Chinese popular literature in various genres (including 俗講, 小説, 戲曲, and 説唱).
Two concurrent users limit. -
Zhongguo Fang Zhi Ku 中國方志庫This is a full-text database of pre-modern Chinese local gazetteers (方志). Subscription covers Series I-III.
Two concurrent users limit.
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台灣故宮博物院藏清代檔案This Open Access resource page contains many databases of primary source materials and reference materials for researching the Qing Dynasty history. They cover a wide range of subjects, including statecraft, military affairs, foreign affairs, finance, agriculture, and industry.
Previously accessed through institutional subscription, Ch'ing Palace Memorials and Archives of the Grand Council 清代宮中檔奏摺及軍機處檔摺件 is among these newly opened resources.
Note: Individual account needs to be opened for access. -
Chinese Buddhist Electronic Texts 中華電子佛典Free online full-text database of the Chinese Tripiṭaka. Currently includes the Taishō shinshū daizōkyō 大正新脩大藏經 and Wan xu Zang 卍續藏.
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Chinese Christian Texts DatabaseA research database of primary and secondary sources concerning the cultural contacts between China and Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (from 1582 to ca. 1840).
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Daizōkyō Full-text DatabaseAnother free full-text database of the Taishō shinshū daizōkyō 大正新脩大藏經.
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故宮 Open DataImages of objects (antiquities, paintings and calligraphic artifacts) preserved at the imperial collections and palatial treasures from the National Palace Museum, Taipei.
Last Updated: Nov 25, 2025 2:13 PM
Subjects: International Studies