Alternate Title
中國歷代人物傳記資料庫
Category
Biographical Data
Institution
Harvard University, Academia Sinica, Peking University
Access
open access
URL
https://cbdb.hsites.harvard.edu/
Description
China Biographical Database Project (CBDB / 中國歷代人物傳記資料庫) is a freely accessible relational database containing biographical information about approximately 649,533 individuals as of May 2025, primarily from the 7th through 19th centuries (Tang through Qing dynasties). Developed collaboratively by Harvard University, Academia Sinica, and Peking University, CBDB is one of the largest and most comprehensive prosopographical databases for pre-modern China. The database includes information on kinship relations, social connections, office-holding, examination degrees, literary works, and geographical locations associated with historical figures. CBDB enables researchers to conduct network analysis, study elite circulation, trace intellectual lineages, examine social mobility, and analyze patterns of political power across Chinese dynastic history. Data can be accessed through web interface or downloaded in Access and SQLite formats for offline analysis.
Source List
ACLS Open Database Resource Guide
Tags
Middle Period (220–1368) Late Imperial (1368–1912) Biography Digital humanities
Last Modified
5/13/2026 9:36pm