Academia Sinica is the most prominent research institute in Taiwan. The institute is one of the first organizations in the world to develop full-text databases to serve researchers in Chinese studies and Taiwan studies. There are 17 databases at this site, including the most important Chinese history database: Ershiwu shi 二十五史 (25 Chinese dynastic Histories) and Taiwan wenxian congkan 臺灣文獻叢刊 (Archives, Documents, Local Gazetteer from Taiwan).
Shen Bao (申報), also known as Shun Bao, is the most influential and longest lasting commercial newspaper of pre-1949 China. It was established by British businessman Ernest Major in 1872 and lasted until 1949 when the Chinese Communist Government shut it down. As an important primary source for late imperial and modern China, Shen Bao underwent three reigns of Qing Dynasty, and witnessed many significant historical events, such as Sino-French War, Sino-Japanese War, Boxer Rebellion, and two World Wars. Known for its rich news reporting, commentary and advertisement, Shen Bao played a pivotal role in the formation of public opinion in the late 19th century and Republic Era.
