The Ming History English Translation Project

This collaborative project makes available translations (from Chinese to English) of portions of the 明史 Mingshi, or the Official History of the Ming Dynasty.

The Mingshi was presented to the Qing throne in 1736 and published in 1739. Compiled from materials collected over the course of the Ming period (1368-1644) and thereafter, it contains valuable information on Ming government, society, and prominent individuals. We also include a few other related materials.

Students and scholars are welcome to use the translations presented here.  Please note the website (Ming History English Translation Project) as your source, as well as crediting the translator as in the citation given.  When the translation includes a Creative Commons license you must follow those terms of use.

If you have translations or other materials related to the history of Great Ming that you would like to share, please contact Sarah Schneewind at sschneewind@ucsd.edu.  Your contributions are needed!

For more information on Ming Studies, including resource links of all kinds, please visit the home page of the Society for Ming Studies at http://mingstudies.arts.ubc.ca/.

This website is hosted on KNIT, UCSD’s digital commons project.