Most Recent Genealogy Records for Asian Countries
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Below is a list and discription of the most recent genealogy records for Asian countries (see list of most recent records for other countries). Many of these records can be searched using our free Genealogy Search Engine.
2012
China – FamilySearch.org has increased their digital collection of Chinese genealogies from various public and private collections held in libraries and archives throughout the world. The collection is now composed of some 2.5 million images, with genealogies dating back as far as 1500 and as recent as 1900. The genealogies are organized by family name, country, province and county. Many of the genealogies originate from China. Access is free. [Chinese Genealogies]
Micronesia – FamilySearch.org has added a browsable collection of Pohnpei, Micronesia court records from 1951 to 2010. These are primarily case files for civil and criminal proceedings although the collection does contain some wills, documents relating to inheritances, land leases, deeds, etc. Access is free. [Micronesia Court Files]
2011
Philippines – FamilySearch has added over 5.2 million civil registration records from the Philippines spanning the years 1945 to 1980. These are marriage and death certificates from regions other than the capital of Manila. This collection now comprises some 7 million records in total. Access is free. [Philippines Marriage and Death Certificates]
China – FamilySearch has added about 1.3 million Chinese genealogies spanning a wide time period of 1500 to 1900. This brings the total size of the collection to about 2.2 million images. These records are essentially Chinese family genealogies that have been gathered from various public and private collections. Most of the genealogies are of families with roots in China who then later migrated to other parts of Asia. Access is free. [Historic Chinese Genealogies]
India – This is a preannouncement. The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in New Delhi is about to launch online a major historical collection that will be of great interest to genealogists. NMML is a massive museum and library complex spread over 30 acres in New Delhi that specializes in preserving the Indian independence movement. The digitization program, which is expected to go online in about one month, focuses on digitizing the library’s collection of newspapers, manuscripts, photographs and other related documents. Already, 50 collections of manuscripts, 834 interview transcripts, 30,000 photographs and one newspaper dating back to 1905 have already been digitized. Online records from India are rare and the launch of this online collection could be a major source of new information for anyone with ancestors who lived or worked in India. [Nehru Memorial Library Digitisation Project]
Asia – The International Mission Photography Archive is a new collection of 60,000 historical photographs taken by missionaries throughout Africa and Asia. The images date from the 1860s to World War II. Missionaries tended to move around a lot and usually had a mandate to document their surroundings. As well, they were often assigned to more remote regions of Africa and Asia. As a result, missionaries were often the first people to photograph parts of Africa and Asia. They tended to focus on photographing local people and local scenes. The images in this collection range from visually stunning to technically crude. It is, however, a wonderful resource for anyone looking for genealogy context for historical images from Africa or Asia. The collection is managed by the University of Southern California and the images can be searched by phrase and country. Access is free. [Historic Tribal Images of Africa and Asia]
Men Playing the Game Warri - Ghana circa 1920
India – FamilySearch has added over 31,000 browsable images of historic Hindu pilgrimage records. Access is free. [Historic India Pilgrimage Records]
Philippines – FamilySearch has added 2 million new images from the Manila civil registration dating from 1899 to 1994. Access is free. [Manila Genealogy Records]
Japan – The National Diet Library of Japan has added 4 million records to WorldCat. Most of the collection comprises bibliographic records. This is a rare opportunity for anyone who has Japanese ancestors to consult online records. Access is free. The main search page is in English. [National Diet Library Online Catalogue]
2010
China – FamilySearch has added images from about 78,000 family genealogies from the Fung Ping Shan Library at the University of Hong Kong. Most of the genealogies are from Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and the New Territories. The oldest family genealogy goes back to 1500. Access is free. [China Genealogy Records]
Philippines – Civil registration (birth, marriage, death) records from the Manila region have been added to the FamilySearch website. About 2.6 million records are in this collection spanning the years 1899 to 1994. Access is free. [Manila Genealogy Records]
Korea – Inje University in Korea has created an online genealogy library with help from FamilySearch. The library consists of over 500 Korean genealogy books that have been digitized and can be read online in Korean. The main page describes (in English) how to access the material. Access is free. [Inje University Genealogy Library]
Pakistan – Here is a rare digital archive from Pakistan. The government-supported Radio Pakistan will digitize their radio broadcasts. This includes over two million archived minutes of airtime. The digital collection will contain historic speeches from heads of states; interviews with historians and scientists; various historic news broadcasts and folk music from all over Pakistan. The digital archives when they are completed will be held by the Pakistan Broadcast Corporation (PBC). [Radio Pakistan Digital Archive]
UK/India – The Families in British India Society (FIBIS) has added more military records of UK servicemen based in Bombay. FIBIS now has some 183,000 records of British citizens resident in India during the colonial years. The records are free to search although most are not indexed. It helps to know what your ancestors did in India and where they lived. [British Military Records from Colonial India]
