Library Guides: E-resources for Chinese Studies: Ancient Text Collections

Ancient Text Collections

Chinese Ancient Texts (CHANT) 漢達文庫
A collection of databases of traditional and excavated ancient Chinese texts.
CHANT Database will be suspended from 3am PST October 8th-6pm PST October 10th due to electrical outage.

Five full-text databases: 1. Oracular Inscriptions on Tortoise Shells and Bones; 2. Bronze Inscriptions; 3. Excavated Wood/Bamboo and Silk Scripts; 4. The Entire Body of Extant Han and Pre-Han (pre-220 A.D.) Traditional Chinese Texts; 5. Traditional Chinese Texts of Wei Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties (220-589 A.D.).

On the first screen, click the ""For IP User Only"" button. Requires Microsoft Windows 2000/XP or above and Internet Explorer 6.0 or above.
Chinese Classic Ancient Books 中国基本古籍库
Includes pre-20th century texts with full-text and images from a variety of subject areas organized into four sections: Philosophy and Science, History and Geography, Art and Literature, and General Works. Available via Erudition. Access is restricted to one user at a time. Revisit if you are unable to access.
Chinese Local Gazetteers 中国旧方志库
A collection of 4,000 Chinese local gazetteers published from Song Dynasty to the Republic Era. In Chinese.
Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China 古今图书集成
This digital edition of The Complete Classics includes the most seminal classics of Chinese literature and culture, from ancient China through the Qing Dynasty.

Encyclopedia of Taiwan 台湾文献丛刊
A database on Taiwanese history in the Chinese language, 309 publications included.

In Chinese. Includes 309 titles in 595 volumes on Taiwanese history in the Chinese language. Incorporates local histories, official documents of the Ming, Qin and Nan-Ming Dynasties, poetry, and private collections. Much of the content is comprised of sole copies and rare out-of-print books. Based on the Taiwan Literature Series edited by former Dean of the National Taiwan University Law School Chou Hsien-Wen.
Grand Secretariat Archives 內閣大庫檔案
Over 4,000 Ming (1368-1644) documents and more than 300,000 volumes of Qing (1644-1911) archival materials included in this database. Contact sxue@berkeley.edu for login information.

Ming Qing Women's Writings 明淸婦女著作
This database is dedicated to the digitization of collections of writings by women in late imperial China (1368-1911). Free access.

Scripta Sinica 漢籍電子文獻資料庫
It is the largest Chinese full text database to encompass an enormous breadth of historical materials of this scale. Contains almost all of the important Chinese classics, especially those related to Chinese history. Choose 授權使用.
Si bu cong kan
Selected editions of ancient texts in classics, history, philosophy and literature, totaling 504 titles in 3,134 volumes.
Si ku quan shu
Compiled by edict of Emperor Qianlong, the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of Four Treasures) is a compendium of 3,000 years of Chinese knowledge, including literature, history, medicine, science and technology, diplomacy, philosophy, linguistics and so much more.

Taiwan Digital Archives 典藏台灣
The main portal for accessing digital collections produced by various institutions in Taiwan.

Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (TBRC) Digital Library
An online repository of the most extensive collection of Tibetan literature, currently contains more than 7,000 works of Tibetan texts.

A project to digitize images of canonical collections such as the Kangyur and the Tengyur. Also include digital images related to Indo-Tibetan medicine.

東京大學東洋文化研究所藏漢籍善本全文影像資料庫
Free access to more than 4,000 Chinese rare books.
東京大學東洋文化研究所所藏雙紅堂文庫全文影像資料庫
Free access to more than 3,000 ancient books.
天一閣博物館古籍數字資源庫
Free access to about 1,300 Chinese rare books. Registration required.
中国国家图书馆古籍资源库
A portal for digitized collections hold in the National Library of China.

Zhonghua Ancient Books Database 中華經典古籍庫
A collection of more than 1,200 well-known Chinese classics edited and punctuated by Zhonghua Book Company. [Pre-1911]

The database is searchable in full-text by both simplified and traditional characters. Other features include comparison between text version and image version, variant versions of people's names, places and titles can be retrieved simultaneously.