Some archives are open to all, and require only a letter of introduction from the scholar's host institution in China. Others require prior approval of access by the provincial or even national archives bureau. Charges for the use of archives also vary. It has recently become the practice to charge for each record called from the archives, whether that record proves useful or not. The rate and negotiability of such charges vary from place to place.
Regulations governing photo-copying or microfilm reproduction also vary radically.
Sometimes there is a limit on the total number of pages that can be reproduced during a stay at the archives. And of course, the charges for photo-copying vary from archive to archive. The purpose of this section of the site is to gather information from archives users that can be shared with others, and to encourage the exchange of information among archives users. Please specify the archives where you did research, the date of your visit, and summarize your experiences with respect to access, availability of cataloguing, fees, photo-copying regulations and any other matters that might be of interest to other scholars. If you found particularly exciting or previously unknown or unused materials that would be of interest to others, and that might exist at other archives, please let us know.