Yongle Encyclopedia

File:Yongle Dadian Encyclopedia 1403.jpg

Yongle Encyclopedia (1403)

The Yongle Encyclopedia was a Chinese compilation of information. It was ordered by the Ming Dynasty emperor Yongle in 1403, and completed by 1408. It was the world's largest known general encyclopedia at its time, and held this record for six centuries.

In the Chinese language it is: simplified Chinese: 永乐大典code: zh is deprecated ; traditional Chinese: 永樂大典code: zh is deprecated ; pinyin: Yǒnglè Dàdiǎn. This means The Great Canon or Vast Documents of the Yongle Era.

Yongle Encyclopedia Media

• The Yongle Encyclopedia, in 2014, on display at the National Library of China

• The Yongle Encyclopedia volume 2262

• Page from the 'Great encyclopaedia of the Yongle Reign' (Yongle dadian) (CBL C 1751, f.34v).jpg

  A page from the manuscript of 'Yongle Encyclopedia'. Chester Beatty Library