Reported by Disty Mahmud, the Class of 2026 & Yuruo Zhang, the Class of 2027.
On March 19th, the Archives and History Initiative hosted a presentation featuring Professors Lei Lin, Qian Zhu, and Andrew Field. The event explored strategies for accessing and utilizing China’s archival materials, both physically and digitally, drawing from the professors’ research experiences.
Professor Lei Lin: Archives of China’s Qing Dynasty
Professor Lei Lin, an assistant professor of Chinese History, focused on Qing dynasty (1644–1912) archival research. She introduced Qing archives, distinguishing between primary archival sources and secondary historiographical materials. She highlighted key government documents such as imperial edicts (Shangyu), palace memorials (Zouzhe), and routine memorials (Tiben), also noting the emperor’s red-script annotations (Pihong). She also discussed Manchu-language memorials, which were rarely translated to Chinese due to the Manchu background of government officials.
Professor Lin shared examples of archival collections, including wartime communications between Qing officials and generals, compiled into books for retrieval. She provided guidance on accessing digital archives, such as the National Palace Museum in Taipei, and unpublished materials from the First Historical Archives in Beijing and Nanjing. She also explained the structure of provincial archives, like those in Shanghai, and accessing physical archives with a Chinese national ID (or foreign passport) and an institutional letter from a DKU professor.
During the Q&A, a student asked why unpublished archives remain restricted. Professor Lei explained that archives also serve national accountability, and restricted historical materials allow for manipulation of narratives to the public. She also addressed a question on historical sources beyond archival documents.
Professor Qian Zhu: Researching 20th-Century China
Professor Qian Zhu’s presentation focused on archival research in 20th-century China, highlighting resources accessible both at Duke and online. She introduced some key off-campus archives. The Second Historical Archives of China (SHAC) in Nanjing (http://shac.net.cn/sy_59/) was mentioned. Visiting this spot requires an appointment, a valid ID, and an introduction letter from a DKU professor. Also, Shanghai Municipal Library (https://www.library.sh.cn/) was brought to the conversation. It is open to the public with an ID and library card. A Digital Humanities Platform can be visited by clicking https://dhc.library.sh.cn/, which offers free scanned copies of documents.
On top of that, she introduced Duke University’s online resources, such as primary source databases like the Chinese studies collections, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, and the Chinese Newspapers Collection. Additionally, she highlighted Late Qing and Republic of China (Minguo) Periodicals housed at the National Library in Beijing and an OCR tool that converts PDFs and images into editable text, with translation capabilities.
For digital archives, Professor Zhu recommended several other resources, including: the WeChat account Hong Kong-Macau-Taiwan and Overseas Historical Materials (港澳台及海外历史文献), Guangdong-HK-Macau Special Archive Digital Platform (https://www.zslib.com.cn/jingtaiyemian/yga/nav.html), Literature and Periodicals in Republican China (https://cadal.hytung.com.cn/), and Digital Image Collections of the Republic of China (http://www.minguotupian.com/).
Professor Zhu concluded by reflecting on how archives “speak” to researchers. She emphasized that interpretation is shaped by the person’s background and knowledge, making historical and cultural context crucial when working with archival materials. She also discussed how archives both reflect power structures and reveal hidden narratives.
Professor Andrew Field: The Role of Archives in Historical Research
In the final presentation, Professor Andrew Field emphasized the importance of archival research for historians. Not only in terms of deep engagement with sources but also in building connections with like-minded scholars. He also highlighted the need for persistence and patience when working with archives and archivists.
He then shared the case of the Shanghai Municipal Police files, a collection of intelligence records smuggled out of Shanghai in 1949 by the CIA due to their data on global communist activities. Originally hidden in Langley, these files were later declassified through the Freedom of Information Act by a couple of historians and are now housed in the U.S. National Archives. The documents provide valuable insights into daily life and nightlife in Shanghai during that period.
Professor Field concluded with a reminder to the audience: “Archive your personal life”, emphasizing the value of documenting your own experiences as a way of memory.
The event saw an estimated attendance of 37 students and faculty. The presentations were enjoyed with snacks and drinks catering. To learn more about DKU’s Archives and History Initiative and be updated on our events, email student coordinators Yuruo Zhang (yuruo.zhang@dukekunshan.edu.cn) or Disty Mahmud (andhisty.mahmud@dukekunshan.edu.cn), to be added to the WeChat group.
