Chinese Repository

The Chinese Repository was published in Canton from 1832 to 1851, except for 1839 which was published in Macao. In total it has 20 volumes, containing articles about China that were written by foreigners. Through these articles, readers of the 21 century could know how China looked like in the eyes of foreigners almost 200 years ago. Topics of the articles include Chinese history, geography, current affairs and commentaries. Some articles are comments on the negotiation between British and China on trade matters. Some articles are translation of Chinese government announcements to foreigners. There are also some English translation on the official documents written by Chinese officials to the Emperor. The Chinese Repository is an important primary source document to understand how China and foreigners interacted in those days and is important for those who study the Opium War. Volume 1 was published in May 1832. In its introduction, among other things, it says:

"It is not less a matter of astonishment than regret that, during the long intercourse which has existed between the nations of Christendom and eastern Asia, there has been so little commerce in intellectual and moral commodities. . . Every visitor to Canton must be struck, not to say confounded, with the strange jargon spoken alike by natives and foreigners, in their mutual intercourse; it has been a most fruitful source of misunderstanding. . . Thirty years ago, there was not living more then one individual capable of translating from Chinese into English; and there was not one of sons of the 'Son of heaven,' who could read, or write, or speak, correctly, the English language. . ."

The Chinese Repository is a useful source to understand how China had been reacting to westerners during the period between 1830s and 1850s

Reference:
1. 楊家駱主編. 鴉片戰爭文獻彙編.台灣鼎文書局印行, 1973.
2. Elijah Coleman Bridgman & Samuel Wells Williams. Chinese Repository. Canton[etc.] printed for the proprietors, volume I 1832 to volume XX 1851.