Training the Trainers: Materiality of Ming Books and Manuscripts.
This online lecture series brings together leading scholars from North America and China to explore Ming dynasty book and manuscript culture. Presentations will be followed by Q and A with the speakers.
Weekly sessions on Mondays at 4 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).
Monday, May 18, 2026
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Yingpin Zhang | 张英聘, Professor, University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
The compilation and publication of local gazetteers flourished greatly during the Ming dynasty and occupy an important place in the history of Chinese gazetteers. The number of gazetteers produced in the Ming was enormous—according to statistics, more than four times the total produced during the Song and Yuan dynasties combined.
Various types of local gazetteers emerged in this period, and their compilation formats underwent numerous adaptations and innovations. During the Yongle era, guidelines for gazetteer compilation were issued twice, exerting a significant influence on later generations. The extensive practice of compiling gazetteers in the Ming also gave rise to rich theoretical developments. Governments at all levels attached great importance to gazetteer compilation, with personnel fulfilling specialized roles. Gazetteers were published not only by government institutions at different administrative levels but also through commercial and private printing, accompanied by major innovations in printing technology.
This program will be delivered in Chinese with live, simultaneous English translation.
Click the RSVP to register now.
Zhang Yingpin, Ph.D. in History, is a researcher at the Local Gazetteer Office of China, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and concurrently serves as Deputy Secretary-General of the China Local Gazetteers Society. Her main research focuses on the history of local gazetteers and the history of the Ming dynasty.
Presented by UCLA Library, The Claremont Colleges Library and Columbia University Libraries with funding support from the James P. Geiss and Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation.
www.library.ucla.edu/visit/events-exhibitions/training-the-trainers-materiality-of-ming-books-and-manuscripts/
Sponsor(s): Center for Chinese Studies, UCLA Library