Naxi Manuscripts

Hundreds of manuscripts in one of the last widely used pictographic languages in the world.
From the M. Lingza Scripture Series of the Naxi Manuscript Collection. View Details.
Harvard-Yenching Library

One of the last widely used pictographic languages in the world, the written language of the Dongba, an ethnic minority in southwest China, is today all but lost. Only a very few Chinese scholars and remaining Naxi are able to read it.

The digitization of Harvard-Yenching Library’s 600-plus Naxi manuscripts is being shared with scholars in China, who will add translations to the collection that will preserve the record of the customs, religious practices, and daily life of the Naxi people.

Accessing These Materials

Access to digitized versions of these manuscripts is available via the finding aid.

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