MSE library r
ecently acquired digitized Shenbao collection, a prominent primary source for China Studies. Shenbao is one of the first modern Chinese newspapers. It is the most influential and longest lasting commercial newspaper of pre-1949 China and was established by British businessman Ernest Major in 1872. 256,000 issues were published during its 78 years of existence (1872-1949).
An important primary source for late imperial and modern China, Shenbao witnessed three reigns of the Qing Dynasty and many significant historical events, such as the Sino-French War, the Sino-Japanese War, the Boxer Rebellion, and two World Wars. Known for its rich news reporting, commentary and advertisement, Shenbao played a pivotal role in the formation of public opinion in the late 19th century and Republic Era.
The digitized version allows for easy chronological browsing and full text searching. It provides the original images of the newspaper as well as a searchable text version.