The EFEO romanization scheme was widely used to transcribe Chinese in non-English-speaking parts of Europe in the early 20th century. Its name is taken from an academic institution originally based in French Indochina, the École Française d’Extrême-Orient (French School of Far Eastern Studies). The EFEO has hosted renowned scholars such as Paul Pelliot (1878–1945), Henri Maspero (1883–1945), and Paul Demiéville (1894–1979); its missions included archaeological exploration, collection of manuscri…