(18 Sep 2023) The diaries of former Republic of China (ROC) presidents Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) arrived in Taiwan on Thursday, and are to be published by Academia Historica from October, the state archives said. The documents, previously housed at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution Library & Archives, were sent by the California…
(5 Jul 2023) Students and scholars at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa (and worldwide) can now easily access and view the fine details of rare, hand-painted Japanese scrolls, made possible by UH Mānoa Library’s new state-of-the-art digitization lab. The scrolls titled 鯨魚鑬笑録 (Geigyo ranshōroku), or “A simple overview of whaling” were created in 1819 and…
(14 Dec 2022) The University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne libraries are working together to increase the use of their unique special collections and archives by extending access to people who cannot attend campus by using practices established in recent years. This project is linked to an international initiative to increase access to…
(23 Jan 2022) The National Central Library of Taiwan (NCL) has completed the digitization of over 30,000 pages of rare Chinese books in collaboration with the libraries of Oxford University and Stanford University, the NCL said in a statement issued Sunday. The cooperation with the Stanford University Libraries focuses on the digitization of a…
(18 Jun 2021) Stanford Libraries is embarking on an exciting collaboration with the National Central Library of Taiwan (NCL) to digitize a selection of Chinese rare books in the holdings of the East Asia Library and the Bowes Art & Architecture Library. The scanned titles will be added to the NCL’s Rare Books and Special Collections…
(5 Nov 2020) A rare 17th-century French book on Confucius, which was given as a national gift to President Xi Jinping by French President Emmanuel Macron last year, was officially handed over to the National Library of China in Beijing on Wednesday. Confucius ou la Science des Princes (Confucius, or the Science of the Princes),…
Two lost folios from the ‘Yongle Dadian’, the Ming dynasty encyclopaedia that has assumed national treasure status in China, surfaced for sale in Paris last week. (13 Jul 2020) Estimated at €5000-7000, they sold for a massive €6.4m (£5.82m) or €8.13m once the 27% buyer’s premium was added. Completed at the behest of the third Ming…
(15 Jan 2020) An exhibition of rare documents was recently held at the National Library last week to help publicise the institution’s new location. “The exhibition provided a glimpse into the country’s past through rare documents and publications, and also served as a wonderful way to get people to visit the National Library’s new location,”…
(25 Dec 2019) Having been held in private hands for nearly two centuries, an original typewritten document published in 1802 recording the results of the French constitutional referendum which made Napoléon Bonaparte First Consul for life can now be viewed at National Central Library (NCL) in Taipei. The document, which the private collector believes to be…
(10 May 2019) A woodblock-printed set of 400 illustrations depicting the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha, painted silk scenes by Qing dynasty court artist Jiao Bingzhen, and 12 watercolors detailing indigenous life in Taiwan are among the 1,000 rare Chinese texts now available via the Library of Congress’ online catalogue. The library’s rare Chinese book collection includes 5,300 titles, 2,000…