CHGIS_MCP_Server

The CHGIS MCP Server provides access to the China Historical Geographic Information System (CHGIS) historical place names database through an MCP (Model Context Protocol) wrapper. It exposes three core tools: search_place_by_id for exact lookups by a unique place ID (e.g., hvd_32180), search_places for faceted searches using multiple parameters (name, year, feature_type, parent, source) with support for multiple output formats (JSON, XML, HTML), and get_place_historical_context to retrieve the historical lineage and administrative changes of a place. These tools enable historians and researchers to retrieve detailed place information, perform multi-parameter queries, and explore historical evolution and subordinate units across time. The server relies on the CHGIS API at http://tgaz.fudan.edu.cn to fetch data.

To use, send MCP-style function calls such as search_place_by_id, search_places, and get_place_historical_context through the MCP interface. The server can output results in JSON by default and also supports XML and HTML formats when requested via the format parameter. Typical workflows include locating a place by its hvd_ ID, performing broader searches by name and date ranges, and analyzing the historical context and administrative changes of a place over time.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js >= 18.0.0
• npm or yarn installed

Installation steps:

1. Clone or download the CHGIS MCP Server project from its repository.
2. Navigate into the project directory: cd /path/to/chgis-mcp-server
3. Install dependencies: npm install

Configuration (example for Claude Code):

1. Create or edit your Claude Code configuration to register the MCP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chgis": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/your/chgis-mcp-server/src/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

4. Start the MCP server:

npm start

5. Verify the server is running and accessible via the MCP interface, then begin issuing MCP calls using the provided tools.

Tips and considerations:

• The MCP server relies on network access to the CHGIS API at http://tgaz.fudan.edu.cn. Ensure outbound access is allowed in your environment.
• Historical year range supported: -222 to 1911. Queries outside this range may return no results or be filtered.
• Place IDs must follow the format hvd_12345. Invalid IDs will prompt an error message.
• The API supports multiple output formats; specify format: json, xml, or html in your requests.
• Data sources primarily include CHGIS and related datasets (RAS) via the CHGIS API.
• If you run into CORS or proxy-related issues when calling from a frontend, route requests through a backend MCP client or configure the environment accordingly.
• For debugging, check connectivity to the CHGIS API endpoint http://tgaz.fudan.edu.cn and inspect logs from the MCP server for any network or parsing errors.