Tianyige expands digital collection online

Staff at Tianyige Museum scan rare books. [Photo/Zhang Xinrui for Yongpai app]

Tianyige Museum in Ningbo has released 930 newly digitized rare books, including Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) local gazetteers and imperial examination records, further enriching its online collection of ancient books.

Among the newly released works are 271 Ming Dynasty local gazetteers, 185 from the Jiajing period (1522-66). Of these, 172 are the earliest surviving editions for their regions, and 84 are unique copies, providing valuable insight into Ming history, geography, and culture.

The museum also released 379 types of Ming imperial examination records, covering provincial, metropolitan, and palace exams. Over 90 percent are unique copies in China, documenting the careers of notable figures such as Wang Shouren, Zhang Juzheng, and Hai Rui.

This release was part of the 11th joint digital resources event organized by the National Library of China, which featured 10 major collections, contributing a total of 3,748 newly digitized works. Tianyige Museum led the release with the largest number.

Since the platform's launch, the museum has made over 5,500 digitized works available, spanning more than 30,000 volumes and roughly 3 million pages. Its most important and sought-after ancient books are now accessible to the public, offering a rich resource for scholars and enthusiasts worldwide.