Golden Lists of the Qing Dynasty Imperial Examination

The Palace Examination was the final stage in the sequence of civil service recruitment examinations during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). This examination was prepared and presided over by the Emperor in person. The Golden Lists are the name of the successful candidates and were written on a sheet of yellow paper. They are representative documents of the examination system of the Qing as it had emerged after many centuries of evolution since the Sui Dynasty (581A.D.). In the Qing dynasty, the regularly scheduled civil service recruitment examination was the only way for scholars to seek official positions. The sequence of the examination includes District Examination, Provincial Examination, Metropolitan Examination and the Palace Examination, which was held in the Hall of Preserving Harmony in the royal palace. Those who passed the examination were conferred the title of Jin Shi(进士). They would be selected in three categories and the name lists would be made public on a sheet of yellow paper, which is called Golden List or Yellow List.. There were two types of Golden Lists. The small one would be submitted to the Emperor, and the large one put outside the Chang An Gates. Read more on the UNESCO Memory of the World website.