Top of page
Posted by: Anchi Hoh
(The following is a post by Jeffrey Wang, Reference Specialist, Asian Division.) “The Story of Three Kingdoms” (Sanguo Yanyi), created by Luo Guanzhong (1330-1400), is a historical novel and one of the greatest Chinese literary masterpieces. It is largely based on the historical work “Annals of the Three Kingdoms” (Sanguo Zhi) by Chen Shou (233-297), …
Posted in: Asian Division, East Asia
Posted by: Anchi Hoh
(The following is a post by Hong Ta-Moore, Reference Librarian for Southeast Asia Collection, Asian Division.) On October 13, 2016, the United States joined the Kingdom of Thailand in paying homage to the passing of their longest-reigning monarch, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). His Majesty passed away at the Siriraj Hospital in the …
Posted in: Asian Division
Posted by: Anchi Hoh
(The following is a post by Sonya Lee, Reference Specialist, Korean Collection, Asian Division.) Even though the Library of Congress did not start collecting Korean materials earnestly until the early 20th century, now its Korean collection is the largest and most comprehensive outside of East Asia. One of its strength is its collection of works …
Posted in: Asian Division, East Asia
Posted by: Anchi Hoh
(The following is a post by Yuwu Song, Reference Specialist, Asian Division.) Constituting one of the most destructive conflicts of World War II, the Sino-Japanese War (1937-45) started with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident of July 7, 1937, and ended with the surrender of Japan in August 1945. This war marked the culmination of the …
Posted in: Asian Division, East Asia, World War II
Posted by: Anchi Hoh
(The following is a post by Hong Ta-Moore, Reference Librarian, Southeast Asia Collection, Asian Division) Those knowledgeable of Singaporean affairs are aware that August is a significant month for the history of this island nation-state. On August 31, 1963 and August 9, 1965, Singapore achieved independence from Britain and the Federation of Malaysia respectively. We …
Posted in: Asian Division, Southeast Asia
Posted by: Anchi Hoh
(The following is a post by Susan Meinheit, Reference Specialist for Tibet, Asian Division) A very attractive task it is to pursue the gradual growth of the Kanjur and Tanjur through the course of many centuries, and to establish the chronology of the translations. (Berthold Laufer, “Notices of Books,” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, …
Posted in: Asian Division, Manuscripts
Posted by: Anchi Hoh
Probably best known for his short stories and novellas such as “A Madman’s Diary” (狂人日记) in 1918 and “The True Story of Ah Q” (阿Q正传) in 1921, Lu Xun (鲁迅, 1881-1936) is considered one of the most significant authors of modern Chinese literature. His leftist and liberal works first gained influence following the 1919 May …
Posted in: Asian Division, Events, Lectures
Posted by: Anchi Hoh
(The following is a post by Eiichi Ito, reference specialist in the Asian Division.) Every year some 700,000 visitors come to Washington, D.C. to view the famous sakura, the cherry blossoms (a gift from the city of Tokyo in 1912), and to enjoy the events organized throughout the city as part of the National Cherry Blossom …
Posted in: Asian Division, East Asia
Posted by: Anchi Hoh
(The following is a post by Tien Doan, Special Assistant to the Chief, Asian Division.) Among of the unique collections from Southeast Asia in the holdings of the Asian Division at the Library of Congress is a set of bamboo “books” that came from the Mindoro island and the Palawan island, two islands of the …
Posted in: Asian Division, Digital Content, Southeast Asia