Hummel’s biographical dictionary remains the single indispensable reference tool for Chinese history since 1644. It was first published in 1943–44. ‘The best history of China of the last 300 years’ – Hu Shih.

The first biographical dictionary in any Western language devoted solely to Chinese women, this reference is the product of years of research, translation, and writing by a team of over 60 China scholars from around the world. Compiled from a wide array of original sources, these detailed biographies present the lives, work, and significance of more than 200 Chinese women from many different backgrounds and areas of interest.