Director's Statement                   Nanjing is a city rich in historical and cultural sites.Passing through the Zhong Shan gate your eyes will be drawn to the Ming dynasty palace relics and then on to a site of grand ancient-style architecture. This is the Second Historical Archives of China (SHAC), enjoying prestige both at home and abroad for its extensive holdings of the records of the central governments and their subordinate organs of the Republican era of 1912 to 1949.             Walking into its majestic buildings with their glazed roof and flying eaves, and browsing through documents relating to the politics, military, economy and culture of that period, makes you to feel as if you are back in this historical epoch and deeply impresses on you the changes brought about by time, and by social development.             Archives, as the records of history, are cultural riches belonging to people all over the world. We'd like to erect a bridge for communication between you and us through the Internet and make easily accessible for you the precious records preserved in SHAC. Let us together exert our efforts to make such historical archives play an active role in mankind's development.