Early and Imperial China

Please check out our newest addition to digital databases: 

The Chinese Dictionary Compendium (restricted to Penn Authorized Users)

"With more than 120 volumes and databases, the Chinese Dictionary Compendium houses the largest collection of high-quality dictionaries and reference works in modern and traditional Chinese. This includes a revised and extended digital edition of the most important Chinese dictionary, the Hanyu Da Cidian (Diyiban + Dingbu) 漢語大詞典（第一版+訂補）. Additionally, it contains one of the most comprehensive datasets of Chinese characters available on the internet, meeting the highest scientific standards. The wealth of resources and accessibility offered by the Compendium make it an ideal companion for study and scholarly work in Chinese Studies. It also serves as an invaluable reference for Chinese language learners and enthusiasts of Chinese literature and history."

Here is a list of databases that include access to primary sources. 

• Quan Tang Shi fenxi xitong 全唐诗分析系统 Tang Dynasty Poetry
• Quan Song Shi fenxi xitong 全宋诗分析系统 Song Dynasty Poetry
• Scripta Sinica 漢籍全文資料庫  [Access Note: On the landing page, click on 授權使用 for full database access, because you are a licensed user.]
• Database of Chinese classic ancient books 中國基本古籍庫

• Siku quanshu 四庫全書

• Zhonghua Ancient Books Database 中華經典古籍庫
• Kanripo カンリポ (Kanseki Repository) Comprehensive collection of premodern Chinese texts.
• Chinese Text Project
• CHANT-Chinese Ancient Texts
• Guoxue baodian 國學寶典
• CBETA-Chinese Buddhist Electronic Texts
• Gujin tushu jicheng 古今圖書集成
• Zhongguo suwen ku 中國俗文庫
• International Dunhuang Project
• Guyin Xiao Jing 古音小鏡網 - Site compiling extensive sources for Chinese historical linguistics
• Epigraphical Full-text Databases: 漢魏六朝碑刻  三晉石刻大全   唐代墓誌銘  宋代墓志铭数据库
• Hanquan 漢泉 Database : National Taiwan Normal University Library [Hanquan] Classical Literature Full Text Search Database

The American Council of Learned Societies published an excellent list of open databases and free resources with primary materials for China studies research.

https://www.acls.org/resources/open-databases-for-china-studies-resource-guide/

The guide was edited by the Chinese studies librarians at Princeton and Duke. 

The following links are for commonly used databases that amalgamate scholarly literature in one powerful platform. The descriptions next to each link provide further information.

The following resources are highly recommended dictionaries (digital and in print). 

Print Resources at Van Pelt Library:

• Hanyu da cidian 汉语大词典   (East Asia Seminar Room Van Pelt 526) PL 1420 H36 1987
• Hanyu da zidian 漢語大字典 (East Asia Seminar Room Van Pelt 526) PL1420 .H3494 2006 

The following is a list of useful links related to bibliographic tools for deeper research. Bibliographic tools are used to compile a comprehensive list of existing literature on a subject or topic and can cover many topics.