diff --git a/epitran/cedict.py b/epitran/cedict.py
index bb9b1f72..63550d13 100644
--- a/epitran/cedict.py
+++ b/epitran/cedict.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def _construct_trie(self, hanzi):
             py, en = df
             py = str(''.join(filter(lambda x: x in ASCII_CHARS, ' '.join(py))))
             pairs.append((hz, (py.encode('utf-8'),)))
-        trie = _trie_m.RecordTrie(str('@s'), pairs)
+        trie = marisa_trie.RecordTrie(str('@s'), pairs)
         return trie
 
     def has_key(self, key):
diff --git a/epitran/download.py b/epitran/download.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ac95cbc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/epitran/download.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import os
+import requests
+import gzip
+
+CEDICT_URL='https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/export/cedict/cedict_1_0_ts_utf-8_mdbg.txt.gz'
+
+def get_dir():
+    data_dir = os.path.expanduser('~/epitran_data/')
+    os.makedirs(data_dir, exist_ok=True)
+    return data_dir
+
+def get_cedict_file():
+    return os.path.join(get_dir(), 'cedict.txt')
+
+def cedict_exists():
+    return os.path.exists(get_cedict_file())
+
+def cedict():
+    gzfilename = os.path.join(get_dir(), 'cedict.txt.gz')
+    txtfilename = os.path.join(get_dir(), 'cedict.txt')
+    r = requests.get(CEDICT_URL)
+    with open(gzfilename, 'wb') as f:
+        f.write(r.content)
+    with gzip.open(gzfilename, 'rb') as ip_byte, open(txtfilename, 'w') as op:
+        op.write(ip_byte.read().decode('utf-8'))
+
+
+
diff --git a/epitran/epihan.py b/epitran/epihan.py
index dc9426fd..b1bcdc08 100644
--- a/epitran/epihan.py
+++ b/epitran/epihan.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 from . import cedict
 from . import rules
+from . import download
 from epitran.ligaturize import ligaturize
 
 
@@ -43,8 +44,10 @@ def __init__(self, ligatures=False, cedict_file=None,
         """
         # If no cedict_file is specified, raise and error
         if not cedict_file:
-            raise MissingData('Please specify a location ' +
-                              'for the CC-CEDict file.')
+            if download.cedict_exists():
+                cedict_file = download.get_cedict_file()
+            else:
+                raise MissingData('Download CC-CEDICT with "epitran.download.cedict()')
         if tones:
             rules_file = os.path.join('data', 'rules', 'pinyin-to-ipa-tones.txt')
         else:
@@ -110,7 +113,10 @@ def __init__(self, ligatures=False, cedict_file=None, tones=False, rules_file='p
                               IPA
         """
         if not cedict_file:
-            raise MissingData('Please specify a location for the CC-CEDict file.')
+            if download.cedict_exists():
+                cedict_file = download.get_cedict_file()
+            else:
+                raise MissingData('Download CC-CEDICT with "epitran.download.cedict().')
         rules_file = os.path.join('data', 'rules', rules_file)
         rules_file = pkg_resources.resource_filename(__name__, rules_file)
         self.cedict = cedict.CEDictTrie(cedict_file, traditional=True)