Collection Overview

Pinyin conversion at UW

UW China Studies Program

UW East Asia Center

UW East Asia Resource Center

KARL DEBRECZENY
One of the rubbings found at the UW is more than 8 feet tall and is called "Qian Ziwen," or the "Thousand Character Text." It helped students learn the 1,000 most-used Chinese characters. Dated "the 28th day of the 12th month of the 3rd year of the Qiande Reign in the Great Song Dynasty - 965 A.D.
 

The Chinese Collection of the University Washington Library is devoted to Chinese-language research materials in all formats, but mainly in the fields of humanities and social sciences. Works published in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other areas are collected. In conjunction with the Chinese-language holdings of the Gallagher Law Library, the Chinese Collection of the University of Washington Library plays an important role in supporting all China-related teaching and research activities at University Washington.

The East Asia Library holds over 268,606 volumes of Chinese printed materials (as of June 2008), approximately 1,100 current serials titles, 2,600 non-current serials titles, 6,300 microfilms reels, 4,700 microfiches sheets, three online databases, and more than 160 computer files applications. The majority of audiovisual Chinese materials are located in the Media Center at the Odegaard Undergraduate Library. Areas of strength include: local gazetteers on the southwest region; material on the Guangdong Delta region; works on the Taiping Rebellion; works by and on Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao; material on Chinese dialects and ethnic minorities; population census; yearbooks; and statistical data.

Special Collections includes:

1. The Joseph Rock Collection. Over three hundred gazetteers, many of which are rare editions on the southwest region.

2. Wu Xianzi Collection. Includes 112 pieces of Wu's manuscripts and publications, a valuable source for the study of the leader of the Li Xian Party in the early Republican period.

3. Collection on Diaoyutai Incident. Includes over three hundred items published between 1971 and 1973.

4. Mu Yu Shu Collection. A total of 373 volumes comprise this collection.

5. Yearbook Collection. Consists of over 500 titles.

6. Population census of 1990 and 2000 at the county, city and county level. The census volumes represent most of the counties and cities of all provinces and autonomous regions. This collection exceeds 6,000 volumes.

7. Qing Dynasty Xi nan shao shu min zu hua ce. A set of six volumes containing 120 original drawings on the aboriginal tribes of Yunnan and southwest China in the Qing Dynasty.


Questions and comments, including requests for materials and inquiries about how to use the collection, etc. may be directed to Michael Meng, Chinese Studies Librarian, at 206-616-7665 or via e-mail.