Abstract: Compared with other types of sources, archival materials have three outstanding characteristics: they are direct, plentiful, and systematic. Historians of China have invariably paid attention to the use of archives; and many important historical works have relied extensively on them. We hope that society will continue to value its archival resources, opening them to scholars around the world; and that cooperation between the historical and archival fields will be strengthened, enhancing their mutual contribution to human civilization.