Reference books should only be used for an overview, and not as one of your major sources. Because reference book articles are short, you are not going to find the level of detail required to write a successful paper.
Circulating books offers more specific information on one major subject with lots of details in its further subdivision. You may also find lots of supporting materials via facts, personal experience or survey as well as possible some statistics. It takes you to a deeper level of research.
Reference books are located in the Garver Room (silent study room).
Circulating books are located in the stacks.
You may start from here,
The China handbook
Zhongguo wen hua chang shi 中国文化常识 = Common knowledge about Chinese Culture
Reference articles from one of the oldest and most trusted reference sources in the world.
This reference database spans 25 different subject areas, bringing together 2 million digitized entries across Oxford University Press’s Dictionaries, Companions, and Encyclopedias.
Reference Universe searches the indices of reference works at the Garver Room. It provides researchers with the most reliable introductions to your research topic, simplifying the process of finding just the right book or journal article.