The Royal Asiatic Society China is a learned society based in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

and

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, China. It was established in

in 1857 by a small group of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

expatriates as the Shanghai Literary and Scientific Society, and within a year had achieved affiliation with the

Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS), was established, according to its royal charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the en ...

and become the North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (NCBRAS). However, following the death of the society's first president, American missionary

Elijah Coleman Bridgman Elijah Coleman Bridgman (April22, 1801November2, 1861) was the first American Protestant Christian missionary appointed to China. He served with the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. One of the first few Protestant missionarie ...

, in 1861 the society became moribund, but was rescued in 1864 by Sir

Harry Smith Parkes Sir Harry Smith Parkes (24 February 1828 – 22 March 1885) was a British diplomat who served as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary and Consul General of the United Kingdom to the Empire of Japan from 1865 to 1883 and the Chinese ...

, the British Consul. The Society’s stated intention was to study and disseminate knowledge of China and surrounding nations by publishing a journal and establishing a library and museum. The first journal was published in 1858 and thereafter for 90 years. The Society’s original home comprised a ground-floor reading room, library and lecture hall, but was expanded in 1874 to house a museum on the floor above. In 1930 the building was condemned and although funds were raised to build new premises, the Great Depression and the

second Sino-Japanese war The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...

conspired to prevent any progress. Although the society struggled on it was finally wound up in 1952. The book collection went to the

Shanghai Library The Shanghai Library, which also houses the Shanghai Institute of Scientific and Technological Information, is the municipal library of Shanghai, China. It is the largest library in China. At 24 stories and 348 feet (106 m) tall, it is the second ...

and most of the museum exhibits to the

Shanghai Natural History Museum The Shanghai Natural History Museum (; Shanghainese: Zånhae Zyzoe Pohvehguoe) is a museum dedicated to natural history in the city of Shanghai. It is one of the largest museums of natural sciences in China. Formerly housed in the Shanghai Cotto ...

. In 2006 the society was re-established in

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whic ...

and transferred to

the following year as the Royal Asiatic Society in Shanghai. The Journal has been resurrected and a growing library and museum opened to members and scholars. In 2013 a chapter was established in

as the Royal Asiatic Society in Beijing.

Presidents

; North China Branch of the RAS 1857-1952 * 1857–1861: Rev

* ?1859–: Thomas Taylor Meadows * 1864–:

* c.1885:

Herbert Allen Giles Herbert Allen Giles (, 8 December 184513 February 1935) was a British diplomat and sinologist who was the professor of Chinese at the University of Cambridge for 35 years. Giles was educated at Charterhouse School before becoming a British dip ...

* c.1910 Sir Pelham Warren * 1911:

John Calvin Ferguson John Calvin Ferguson (; 1866–1945) was an American scholar of Chinese art, collector and procurer for American art museums, and a Chinese governmental adviser. Ferguson was the son of John Ferguson and Catherine Matilda Pomeroy (Ferguson). Hi ...

* 1913–1919: Sir Everard H. Fraser * 1919–: Arthur Stanley * 1935–1940: Arthur de Carle Sowerby ; RAS China in Shanghai 2007- * 2007–2011: Peter Hibbard * 2011-2013: Katy Gow * 2013–: Nenad Djordjevic

References

{{Authority control 2006 establishments in China Learned societies of China Libraries in Beijing Libraries in Shanghai Oriental societies