China

Showing 1 - 12 of 23 results
Collection guide
Wang Collection

A vast repository of over 4,000 books, primarily in Chinese, covering history, culture, politics, and religion. Collected between 1950 and 2000, it includes rare texts from Taiwan and China, reflecting the richness of Chinese scholarship. Founded by Sing-wu Wang, this collection remains a cornerstone of the National Library of Australia, offering invaluable insights into East Asia’s past and present.

Collection guide
Tokyo and environs road map

Tokyo and environs road map, 1953, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1584417804

Williams Collection

About 3200 books, pamphlets, serials, maps, newspapers and ephemera mainly related to Japan plus some works on China and Korea. 

Collection guide
Collection guide
Australian Buddhist Library

Tripitakas, books and audio recordings dealing with Buddhist history, biography, literature, doctrines, philosophy and way of life and Buddhist folk tales.

Collection guide
A large, old text with Chinese characters is bound with traditional thread stitching, sitting on a shelf, supported by a white fabric strap wrapped around its cover. The edges of the pages are uneven, showing wear with the stitching slightly frayed. Other colourful books with Chinese characters are lined up alongside it on the shelf.
Chinese collections research guide

Get help to find and access material from the Library’s Chinese collection and beyond.

Research guide
Hand-drawn historical map of a coastal city with detailed streets, waterways, and buildings. Various ships are shown in the harbor, including sailing ships with multiple masts. The map contains handwritten labels in an East Asian script, with buildings and city layout depicted in a bird's-eye view.

 Shinsen Nagasaki no zu, 1801, nla.cat-vn3644559

London Missionary Society Collection

722 books, pamphlets, leaflets, manuscripts, newspapers and maps, mostly written in Chinese. Mainly Christian works, plus works on the Chinese language, reprints of classical writings and works relating to the Taiping Rebellion of 1850-64.

Collection guide
Woman of Chinese heritage sitting on a couch in a nice house, wearing a colourful striped jumper and smiling

Anna Zhu, Dawna Leung, Thornleigh, Sydney, New South Wales, 31 May 2022, nla.obj-3084238106

Chinese-Australian family history research guide

Beginner researchers can use this guide to find resources to help learn about their domestic family history or trace their ancestral origins overseas.

Research guide
Woman with short dark hair wearing a navy short sleeve top smiling at the camera and sitting at a desk with a laptop, papers and a box
Untold histories: Chinese communities in Australia during the Cold War

Hear from 2023 National Library Fellow Dr Mei-Fen Kuo about her research into the impact of Chinese cafes during the Cold War.

Blog
Man with short black hair and black glasses in a short-sleeved checkered shirt smiling and sitting at a desk with a Chinese language newspaper on it
Exploring the experiences of Chinese migrants in Australia

Using the Library’s English and Chinese language material, Dr Yao-Tai Li set out to examine the daily experiences of Chinese migrants since the 1970s.

Blog
People watch lion dances in Chinatown Plaza in Adelaide

Jiayuan Liang, Chung Yee Tong Lion Dance Team performing lion dances, Chinese New Year, Chinatown, Adelaide, 2022, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3125334254

Growing Chinese Australian representation in the collection

Explore some of the recent additions to the collection representing the contribution of Australians with Chinese heritage.

Blog
Complete Map of the Everlasting Unity of the Great Qing (Da Qing wannian yitong dili quantu)

After Huang Qianren (1694–1771), Complete Map of the Everlasting Unity of the Great Qing (Da Qing wannian yitong dili quantu), Jiaqing period (1796–1820), National Library of China

Celestial Empire

Module

This resource is aligned to Australian Curriculum: History for Year 9 students. It engages students with a rich selection of historical sources and challenges them to draw their own conclusions about the Qing Dynasty.

Digital Classroom
Fellowships 2023 Yahia Ma
Q&A with 2023 Asian Study Grant recipient Yahia Zhengtang Ma

Yahia’s research examined the Chinese ‘homosexual’ men’s lived experience as represented in the Australian-Chinese language newspapers, magazines, and digital media.

Blog
Dancers wearing tradition lion costume performing for Chinese New Year. There are two lions, one red and one yellow, with two people in each costume. Behind them stand spectators and a drummer

Jiayuan Liang, Chung Yee Tong Lion Dance Team performing lion dances, Chinese New Year, Chinatown, Adelaide, 2022, nla.obj-3125334254

Chinese collection

The Chinese collection of the National Library is a rich source of information on the history, culture and current affairs of China.

Information article

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