Six Centuries at Tunhuang: A Short Account of the Stein Collection of Chinese MSS. in the British Museum
A concise, accessible introduction to Giles's own scholarship on Chinese manuscripts and the Stein collection.
Author guide
Lionel Giles Books in Order
Lionel Giles (29 December 1875–22 January 1958) was a British sinologist and scholar of Chinese history and literature. He served at the British Museum, becoming Keeper of the Department of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts, and was associated with the China Society. His authored work includes bibliographical catalogues, studies of Chinese manuscripts, and biographical and historical studies; he also produced influential translations of Chinese classics.
sinologyChinese studiesbibliographyhistorybiographytranslation
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Books by series
scholarly-series · unknown
China Society Sinological Series
A scholarly publication series issued by the China Society of London.
- 2 Six Centuries at Tunhuang: A Short Account of the Stein Collection of Chinese MSS. in the British Museum
Book 2 · nonfiction · 1944
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (1)
Nonfiction (3)
- An Alphabetical Index to the Chinese Encyclopaedia
reference · 1911
- Ch'iu Chin: A Chinese Heroine
biography · 1917
Frequently asked questions about Lionel Giles
Who was Lionel Giles?
Lionel Giles (1875–1958) was a British sinologist, translator, and museum curator whose work focused on Chinese language, literature, history, and manuscripts.
Sources: cambridge.org (opens in a new tab)e-aoi.uzh.ch (opens in a new tab)
What was Lionel Giles’s career at the British Museum?
He entered the British Museum in 1900, became custodian of its Chinese books in 1907, and served as Keeper of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts from 1936 until retiring in 1940. He continued cataloguing Chinese materials after retirement.
Sources: cambridge.org (opens in a new tab)collections.st-andrews.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)
What influenced Lionel Giles’s interest in Chinese studies?
His early years in Shanghai and Tamsui gave him lasting memories of China, while his father, the sinologist Herbert Allen Giles, advised him to study Chinese after he joined the British Museum.
Sources: cambridge.org (opens in a new tab)chinaheritagequarterly.org (opens in a new tab)
What honors did Lionel Giles receive?
The Chinese government awarded him the Order of the Brilliant Star in 1947, and he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1951. Oxford had also awarded him a D.Litt. in 1913.
Why is Lionel Giles still remembered?
He is remembered for translations that introduced Chinese classics to general readers and for major cataloguing work on Chinese manuscripts, especially the Stein collection from Dunhuang. His 1910 translation of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War has remained particularly influential.
Sources: chinaheritagequarterly.org (opens in a new tab)cambridge.org (opens in a new tab)