The China Historical Geographic Information System, CHGIS

INSTITUTION

Harvard University

ACCESS

open access

URL

https://chgis.fas.harvard.edu/

DESCRIPTION

The China Historical Geographic Information System (CHGIS) is a comprehensive GIS database covering Chinese history from 221 BCE to 1911 CE (Qin through Qing dynasties). CHGIS provides authoritative spatial and temporal data on populated places and historical administrative units across two millennia of Chinese history. The database includes time-series data for changing administrative boundaries, place names, and population centers. The system provides GIS-ready data in multiple formats (shapefiles, KML, databases) with comprehensive metadata and documentation.

SOURCE LIST

ACLS Open Database Resource Guide

LAST MODIFIED

2026-01-16