Documents in National Palace Museum, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

Welcome to the National Palace Museum's collection of documents from the Qing dynasty! This collection includes a variety of documents from this period, such as Archives in Old Manchu, Archives of the Diary-keeper, Tripitaka in Tibetan and Manchu, Palace Memorials, Manuscripts and Packets from the Historiography Institute, Map of Taiwan and Illustration of Victory: Archives of the Grand Council. These documents provide us with an insight into the history and culture of the Qing dynasty, and are a great resource for those looking to learn more about this time period. We hope you enjoy exploring these incredible artifacts!

1. Archives in Old Manchu

In 1599, the Manchu leader Nurhaci ordered the scholars Erdeni and others to create a written language for the Manchu, based on the Mongolian alphabetic system and combined with Jurchen phonetics.

2. Archives of the Diary-keeper

The "Ch'i-chu chu" (Diary-keeper) was an official in imperial China who recorded the emperor's daily actions and sayings in the "Archives of the Diary-keeper." This type of historical information was similar to a diary in form.

3. Tripitaka in Tibetan / Tripitaka in Manchu

Buddhism has been a major world religion for more than 2000 years. The translation of Buddhist scriptures, known as sutras, into Tibetan and Manchu not only preserved the language and history of these people in China but also assists in the study of Eastern culture.

4. Palace Memorials

The system for drafting and submitting documents to the court in the early Qing dynasty followed the system used in the previous Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Public matters were dealt with in subject memorials, while private ones in confidential memorials.

5. Manuscripts and Packets from the Historiography Institute

The Historiography Institute was established in 1690 as part of the Hanlin Academy. Its responsibility was to compile materials for writing official histories. In 1914, the Qing Historiography Institute was established on the premises of the former Institute.

6. Map of Taiwan

The "Map of Taiwan" is a large map measuring 667 cm long and 46 cm wide. It shows the island of Taiwan from Shamajitou in the south to the City of Dajilong in the north, and from the mountains in the east to the seas in the west.

7. Illustration of Victory: Archives of the Grand Council

The "Illustration of Victory:Archives of the Grand Council" is a painting that depicts the pacification of rebellions in 1755, 1758, and 1759. In 1764, the painting was sent to France, where it caught the attention of Louis XVI.