This is a list of literature and reference books I use for Imperial China. Many in the list are complimentary or signed copies which I have treasured. It supply me with valuable information and insights to regular and rare items of early China. I have not done any research in the field myself and would like to credit the authors for the information they supplied.
Other publication I use, included auction catalogue, exhibition catalogue, books with philatelic topics of local post & later China and also books and catalogue of other Foreign Countries.
BOOK
  GENERAL

     Blackburn, J. Lewis & Sieh, Ping-Wen
       "Postal Rates of China 1867 - 1980"
        1981 (English)

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)   Belknap Harvard
       "The I.G. in Peking"
        Volume I & II
        (English)

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)  Chan,  Shiu-Hon Dr.
       "The Essay of Early China"
        1996 (Bilingual)

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)  Chang, Min-Sheng Dr.
       "China Surcharge Stamps of 1897"
        1996 (Bilingual)

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)  China National Postage Stamp Museum
       "Rare Collections of Chinese Stamps kept by
        China National Postage Stamp Museum
        (The Qing Dynasty)"
        1988 (Bilingual)

     Goldsmith, Michael & Goodwyn, Charles W.
       "The Crown Colony of Wei Hai Wei"
        1985 (English)

     Kan, Wei-Choy
       "The Rare Stamps of China"
        1972 (Bilingual)

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)   Lau, Kung-Suen
       "The Collective Series of Postal History of
        Lau-Om"
        1960 (Chinese)

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)   Li Tung Yuan
       "Research of China Postal History"
        1978 (Chinese)

     Mizuhara, Meiso
       "Magnificent Collection of Chinese Stamp"
       "Part 1, Volumes 1-6"
       "Part 2, Volumes 1-8"
        1978 - 1992 (English) 
  LARGE DRAGON

      Directorate General of Posts, Republic of China
        "A Select Collection of Large Dragon Stamps,
         Cover & Postmarks"
         1978 (Bilingual)

     Ireland, Philip W.
        "The Large Dragons"
         1978 (English)

     Philatelic Publication of People Republic of China
       "The Large Dragons"
        1988 (Mostly Chinese)

     Whang, James B.
       "Whang's Illustrated Collection of the Large
        Dragons of China"
        1993 (Bilingual)
  DOWAGER

     Chan,  Shiu-Hon Dr.
       "The Empress Dowager Birthday Commemorative
        Issues & Surcharges"
        1996 (Bilingual)
  RED REVENUE

     Directorate General of Posts, Ministry of
       communications , Republic of China
       "The Red Revenue Surcharges China 1897"
       "Volume 1 & 2"
        1984, 1987 (Bilingual)

     Woo, L. Y.
       "Revenue Surcharge"
        1983 (Bilingual)
  LATER IMPERIAL ISSUES

     Beales, K. H. & Aglen, E. F.
       "The Waterlow Issue of 1898"
        1987 (English)

     Chang, Zeng Shu
       "Researches on Express Letter Stamps of Qing
        Dynasty & Republic of China"
        1993 (Chinese)

     Lee, M. Y.
       "Lee's Illustrated color Catalogue of China Postal
        Stationary
        (1897 - 1949)"
        1992 (Bilingual)
  CANCELLATION

     Chang, Paul K-S
       "History of Postal Cancellation of China"
        Part 1 - 10
        1989 - 1995 (Bilingual)

     Padget, Peter I.
       "The Postal Marking of China"
        1981 (English)

     Sun, K. Y.
       "The Cancellation of Imperial China"
        1984 (Chinese)
CATALOGUE

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)  Chan, Shiu-Hon Dr.
       "Color-Illustrated Stamp Catalogue of China (1878-1949)"
        1992 (Bilingual)
 
   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)  Ma, Ren-Chuen
       "Ma's Illustrated Catalogue of the Stamps of China"
        1947 (Bilingual)

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)   Ma,  Ren-Chuen
        "Ma's Illustrated Catalogue of the Stamps of China
         Volume I - Empire, 1878 - 1911"
         1995 (English)

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)   Scott's Publishing Co.
        "Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue"
         various years (English)

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)    Wou M.
        "The Postage Stamp Catalogue of China's Qing Dynasty"
         Revised Edition 1997 (Chinese)
JOURNAL & PERIODICAL

     China Philatelic Society of London
       "Journal of Chinese Philately"
        (English)

     L. F. Livingston
       "The Philatelic Folio"
        (English)

     Philatelic Authors Society
       "Collection of Philatelic Reports"
        (Chinese)

     Straits Postal History Research Society
       "The Postal History Research Magazine"
        (Mostly Chinese)

     The China Stamp Society, Inc.
       "The China Clipper"
        (English)

     Philatelic Publications Limited
       "Stamp World"
        (Bilingual)
MAPS & TRANSLATION AID

     Rogers, Michael & Yang, Jan-Syau
       "English - Chinese Philatelic Dictionary & Identification Key"
        1986 (Bilingual)
POST OFFICE RECORD

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)   Report on the Working of the Post Office
        for the year 1904 (Bilingual)

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)   Report on the Working of the Post Office
        for the year 1905 (Bilingual)

   btzbul2a.gif (212 bytes)   Report on the Working of the Chinese Post Office
        1916 (Bilingual)