Top of page

Book/Printed Material Yongle da dian. juan zhi 2535, juan zhi 2536 : qi jie 永樂大典. 七皆

About this Item

Title

  • Yongle da dian. juan zhi 2535, juan zhi 2536 : qi jie

Other Title

  • 永樂大典. 七皆

Translated Title

  • Yongle Encyclopedia

Summary

  • The Yongle Encyclopedia is a large-scale encyclopedia--the largest in pre-modern China--arranged by subject categories traditionally used in China. The entire work is comprised of 22,877 juan (sections) of text proper and a prolegomenon and index in 60 juan, all bound in 11,095 volumes, amounting to about 370 million characters in all. The encyclopedia preserved textual information from about 8,000 texts of all kinds, from pre-Qin times to the early Ming dynasty, covering the works of famous specialists in such areas as astronomy, geography, human affairs, famous objects, yin-yang philosophy, Buddhism and Daoism, crafts, and so forth. In addition to being large in scale and broad in scope, the Yongle Encyclopedia was neatly transcribed and finely illustrated, making it a true treasure among manuscripts. The work itself dropped into oblivion with the fall of the Ming. Many copies met unfortunate fates in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and parts of the encyclopedia were scattered about the world. Only some 400 volumes are extant, distributed among more than 30 collections in eight countries or territories. The National Library of China owns 221 volumes, over half the volumes in the world, making it the largest holder of any institution.

Names

  • Xie, Jin, 1369-1415 Editor

Created / Published

  • Nanjing : Zhu Di (Chengzu, the Yongle Emperor), [1403 to 1408].

Headings

  • -  Encyclopedias and dictionaries, Chinese
  • -  China--Jiangsu Province--Nanjing
  • -  220 B.C. to 1370
  • -  Ming Chengzu, Emperor of China, 1360-1424

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: One volume, 50 x 30 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: National Library of China.
  • -  Content in Chinese.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.
  • -  Title revised per Asian Division.--cc28 2023-01-06

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Source Collection

  • Chinese Books, Manuscripts, Maps, and Prints

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021666132

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Xie, Jin, Editor. Yongle Da Dian. Juan Zhi , Juan Zhi 2536: Qi Jie. [Nanjing: Zhu Di Chengzu, the Yongle Emperor, to 1408, 1403] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666132/.

APA citation style:

Xie, J. (1403) Yongle Da Dian. Juan Zhi , Juan Zhi 2536: Qi Jie. [Nanjing: Zhu Di Chengzu, the Yongle Emperor, to 1408] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666132/.

MLA citation style:

Xie, Jin, Editor. Yongle Da Dian. Juan Zhi , Juan Zhi 2536: Qi Jie. [Nanjing: Zhu Di Chengzu, the Yongle Emperor, to 1408, 1403] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666132/>.