Digital Resources

List of Digital Resources

In recent years the number of digital catalogs and full-text databases has grown exponentially, especially in the field of modern Chinese history and East Asian Studies. Institutions and individual researchers offer access to sources on numerous platforms that one easily loses track.

The following platforms offer the possibility for a systematic search for databases:

• Digital Resources and Projects on East Asia, curated by Paula Curtis
• Digital Collections for Chinese Studies of the China Documentation Center (CDC), curated by He Yan
• Index to the Periodicals Published during the Late Qing and Republican Eras for searching sources on archive.org (curated by He Yan)

 

Digital Text Resources

• Early Chinese Periodicals Online (Heidelberg)
• Books on China Online, 16th – Early 20th Century (早期中國研究選輯, 十六至二十世紀初) (Univ. of Macao)
• Chinese Newspapers of the Late Qing and Republican Era
• Collected Works of Sun Yat-sen
• Renmin Ribao 1946-2003 and Cankao xiaoxi 1957-2002 http://www.laoziliao.net/
• Banned Thought (Translations of Chinese writings of 20th century), such as Writings of Mao and Other Individuals, Magazines from China, The Chinese Revolution up to 1949, China in the Maoist (Socialist) Era
• Red Flag Journal
• National Diet Library Digital Collections (Japan)
• Modern History Databases 近代史數位資料庫
• Primary Sources on Taiwan
• Taiwan Presidential Databases 歷任總統資料庫 (Academia Historica 國史館)
• 抗日战争与近代中日关系文献数据平台
• The Rockefeller Archival Center–Online Collection and Catalogue
• Wenshi ziliao (Literary and Historical Materials)
• 中国・アジア研究論文データベース

 

Translations of Chinese texts in global and intellectual history

The number of translations of Chinese texts in global and intellectual history is growing and can be considered by itself an important contribution reducing the still prevailing asymmetry of knowledge on academic discourses in China and the Sinophone community. Many translations are published open-access or in the digital sphere, of which the following sites can be recommended in particular:

• Reading the China Dream, publ. by David Ownby.
• China Heritage, publ. by Geremie Barmé.
• The China Story, publ. by the Australian Centre on China in the World (CIW) at Australian National University.
• Research Center for Translation (RCT) website.
  

General Resources

• Classical Historiography for Chinese History
• National Project on History of Qing Dynasty 中华文史网
• “Official” web site on the history of the PRC 中华人民共和国国史网
• Resources for Historical Research on the People’s Republic of China
• Asia For Educators
• China Schul Akademie
• Archive Guide to the German Colonial Past
• Database Guide Chinese Language and Culture
• Chinese History for Teachers
• PRC History Group

 

Biographies

• China Biographical Database (Imperial era)
• X-Boorman (Republican era)
• Chinavitae (PR China, esp. since 1980)
• Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

 

Photos and Images

• Memorabilia of the Cultural Revolution
• Virtual Museum of the Cultural Revolution
• Chinese Propaganda Poster (Landsberger Collection)
• Photo Collection Everyday Life in Mao’s China
• Historical Photographs of China
• MIT Visualizing Cultures
• University of Westminster Propaganda Posters

 

Maps and Geographical Information Systems

• David Rumsey Map Collection (1550-today)
• Chinese Historical Maps 中国历史地图
• Reading Digital Atlas (Academia Sinica) 
• Persuasive Cartography The PJ Mode Collection
• Modern History Geographical Information Services 近代歷史地理資訊平臺