Links to Online Research Tools and Related Websites

(Note: some archives and full-text databases may be restricted to the members of the University of San Francisco community)

Gleeson Library/Geschke Learning Resource Center, the main library at the University of San Francisco, contains over one million volumes. Gleeson Library has extensive holdings on a full range of topics related to the Society of Jesus, including key Western language references for the study of the China mission. Important works such as the Bibliotheca Missionum, the Sommervogel-De Backer Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, editions of the Lettres edifiantes et curieuses, and many other works are available. Researchers working at the Ricci Institute should be sure to check here for Western works not in the Institute Library.  

Online Periodicals

JSTOR, the Scholarly Journal Archive, contains full text journals in history, language, mathematics, philosophy, and other fields.The following Asian Studies journals are available online at JSTOR:

• China Journal 1995-2000
• Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs 1979-1995
• Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 1936-1998
• Journal of Asian Studies 1956-2000
• Far Eastern Quarterly 1941-1956
• Monumenta Nipponica 1938-1998
• Pacific Affairs 1928-1999
• News Bulletin (Institute of Pacific Relations) 1926-1928

Project MUSE, Scholarly Journals Online, covers a broad range of topics. Project MUSE also provides links to articles from selected JSTOR back issues. Some titles in Asian studies include:

• Asian Perspectives (2000-)
• Asian Theatre Journal (fall 1999-)
• Buddhist-Christian Studies (2000-)
• China: An International Journal (2004-)
• China Review International (fall 1999-)
• The Contemporary Pacific (2000-)
• Korean Studies (2000-)
• Late Imperial China (1996-)
• Libraries & Culture (2001-)
• Philosophy East and West (Oct. 2000-)
• positions: east asia cultures critique (fall 1999; 2000-)

The Nanzan Institute, a network of Christian organizations aimed at promoting interreligious research and dialogue in Eastern Asia, publishes the journal Inter-Religio, the official bulletin of the Inter-Religio network is published twice a year. Nos. 1-44 are available online.

East West Dialogue (top)

Online Chinese Dictionaries

• Chineselanguage.org maintains an excellent online dictionary, CCDICT. Features include interlinking Cantonese, Hakka, Sino-Korean, and Sino-Japanese dictionaries, audio links, Unicode, pinyin, Cangjie, internal code and bushou (radical) searches.

• Zhongwen.com provides an online dictionary with many tools and links, also aimed at language learning and Chinese studies. The site includes the Chinese Characters Dictionary Web which uses some of the same online dictionaries as CCDICT but with a different interface. Not all these links seem active.

• The Chinese Character Dictionary is a component of Erik Petersen’s On-line Chinese Tools, which includes romanization conversion tools, currency and calendar converters, and many other interesting items.

• Lin Yutang's Chinese-English Dictionary of Modern Usage, the 1972 edition of Lin Yutang's well-known dictionary is available online courtesy of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.    

Mission Studies

• The Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon, an important online reference tool, contains hundreds of bio-bibliographies of European Christians, including many China Jesuits, arranged alphabetically.

• The Mundus Gateway is an online guide to more than four hundred collections of overseas missionary materials held in the archives of British missionary societies in the United Kingdom. Similar in principle to the A. Crouch Christianity in China: a scholars' guide to resources in the libraries and archives of the United States (available online at the Ricci 21st Century Roundtable Archives) (top)

Chinese Studies

• Marjorie Chan's China links page, hosted by Ohio State University, remains one of the most comprehensive collections of web-based information. Though some links or data have expired, still contains much useful information. 

• The China WWW Virtual Library Internet Guide to Chinese Studies, edited by Hanno Lecher, Leiden University. An important site for web-based resources, arranged according to the Library of Congress classification schedule, with site comments and ratings. Essential.

• China the Beautiful : Classical Chinese Art, Calligraphy, Poetry, History, Literature, Painting and Philosophy. Eclectic,uneven, but useful site with some full texts and many graphics arranged topically.

• Classical Historiography for Chinese History. Compiled by Benjamin A. Elman, Princeton University. An extensive bibliography for print and online resources on Chinese govenment, history, philosophy, the classics and culture.

• Academia Sinica

• Scripta Sinica, Chinese Classics online

Church in China

• Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in China, containing data concerning Bishops and Dioceses,  both current and historical. This is one section of the The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church website.

• The Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, maintains an excellent site with details of the history of the Hong Kong Diocese as well as contemporary news. For scholars, the Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan Archives (HKCDA)   is particularly interesting, with scanned texts arranged under Historical Documents, Archives Holdings (1841-1969), Rare Books, Illustrated Catechism, The Cathedral, Church Buildings, Leading Events, The Succession Line, Statistics, In Memory, List of Popes, 120 Chinese Martyrs, and Links. The Rare Books section is particularly useful, as it contains early Chinese theological texts held at variousVatican archives, the majority written by Jesuits of the old mission. A list will be available soon on this site.

• United States Catholic China Bureau, fosters communication and friendship with the people of China and promotes understanding among American Catholics about the Catholic Church and the situation of Catholic communities in China. The USCCB publishes the China Church Quarterly, available online.

• The Amity Foundation, an independent Chinese voluntary organization, promotes Christian involvement in education, social services, health, and rural development in China. The Amity Foundation publishes the Amity Newsletter Quarterly Bulletin, and maintains the Amity News Service

• Hong Kong Baptist University has extensive holdings on Christianity in China in the university library (online texts require BU password)

• Christianity in China, an organization concerned with contemporary issues in Chinese Christianity  

• Orthodox Church in China

Libraries and Archives

• The Vatican Library, Secret Archives , and Vatican Museums are found on one of the most important and beautiful of web sites.  

• The Bibliothèque national de France is digitizing important works the collection, including China and early Jesuit-related items on Gallica, la bibliothèque numérique

• Rome Reborn: The Vatican Library & Renaissance culture : How Rome Went To China , one component of the larger exhibition, an impressive 1993 display of maps and books by Aleni, Varo, Verbiest, Schall, Semedo, and more. (top)