In 1857 a small group of British and Americans seeking intellectual engagement in a city dedicated to commerce established the Shanghai Literary and Scientific Society. Within a year the organisation was granted affiliation with the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (RAS), and the North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (NCBRAS) was born. The RAS returned to China in 2006 when a branch was established in Hangzhou. Its activities were transferred to Shanghai in early 2007 and in September that year under the name of The RAS China in Shanghai it formally reconvened the activities of the North China Branch of the RAS. The Society is very aware of the need to build upon its tradition and to embrace the challenges and opportunities to develop its activities and interests for a wide audience today. Apart from offering a broad range of talks and events the Society has resurrected its journal and has established a new library for the benefit of our members, scholars and the public.