A major cultural project led by Shandong University (SDU) is helping scholars locate, reproduce and study rare Chinese books preserved in collections outside the Chinese mainland.

Launched in 2017, the project surveys Chinese-language books held overseas. It also conducted research in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, with particular attention to rare editions and works unavailable on the Chinese mainland. SDU serves as the project's principal institution.

As of May 2026, researchers have identified about 1.05 million Chinese books at 1,353 holding institutions and established partnerships with 867 of them. The project has led to the acquisition of copies of 1,073 works missing from Chinese mainland collections, including rare editions that have never been reproduced in facsimile or published.

SDU professor Liu Xinming, the project's lead expert, said the initiative aims to improve access to China's documentary heritage, provide richer research resources for international Chinese studies, and support academic and cultural exchange.

SDU researchers have also compiled and revised nearly 199,000 catalog records and published catalogues of rare Chinese books held by institutions including the National Library of France and the National University of Singapore.

Digital access is another major part of the project. Its database combines cataloguing, image analysis and access to digitized texts, and includes more than 370,000 images of rare Chinese books.

The project has also strengthened long-term cooperation between SDU and overseas institutions, supporting joint cataloguing, research and publication. By integrating traditional Chinese bibliography and textual studies with contemporary library practices, it has developed new resources for international research on China and the cross-cultural transmission of Chinese texts.