The Victoria M. Cha-Tsu Siu 徐家智, RSCJ (1935-2010) papers consist entirely of her research on Chinese gardens and the Yuanmingyuan. Her lifelong interest in the Yuanmingyuan began with her father, John Tchoan-pao Siu, who had combed sources for clippings and images to further scholarship on its long history. Particular interest was shown in the attempt to reproduce many of the physical items looted or destroyed during the destruction of 1860 by Anglo-French forces. The papers now housed at the Ricci Institute consist of handwritten or photocopied chapters, notes, excerpts and other data from years of research on this topic. Included are photographs, plates and a large number of slides, all with a focus on Chinese garden architecture. Drafts and working notes from her posthumously published book, Gardens of a Chinese emperor : imperial creations of the Qianlong Era, 1736-1796 published by Lehigh University Press in 2013 are included.

Addendum: In November 2016, the Siu family donated nine cartons of books belonging to their father, John Tchoan-pao Siu. These were filled with a variety of stitch-bound Chinese books which consistently include illustrated volumes not necessarily related to gardens or garden architecture. These cartons are still being opened, sorted and cataloged. For this reason John Siu's name has been added to the archive. All books in this collection will share the VS collection code.