The Four Treasuries of the Classics - Concise Edition (606 volumes, Xuan Paper Bound with Silk Thread) (Imitating High-End Red Wood Box, Xuan Paper Bound with Silk Thread)

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Advantages of Xuan Paper Staple-bound Books:
1. Handcrafted Xuan paper uses special anti-mold and anti-bug preservation techniques, allowing it to last nearly a thousand years, hence the saying "Paper lives for a thousand years," making it ideal for book collection.
2. Ancient-style staple binding with exquisite craftsmanship, elegant and tasteful, highly regarded in terms of aesthetic value. The Xuan paper book is vertical-orientation, easy to flip, lightweight, and convenient for reading.
3. Handcrafted Xuan paper has a natural color, fine weave, and soft texture. It has excellent ink absorption, resulting in clear, well-spaced text with legible characters. The printed paper is glossy, ink is pure without glare, and it does not strain the eyes even after prolonged reading. It is suitable for young people to immerse themselves in traditional Chinese culture, especially for middle-aged and elderly people to appreciate Chinese civilization. In his later years, Chairman Mao Zedong read luxurious large-character Xuan paper staple-bound books. The Selected Works of Mao Zedong and the Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping also have large-character Xuan paper staple-bound editions for the convenience of older leaders in reading.
4. The history of Xuan paper books in China is long, having played a significant role in the development, dissemination, and preservation of Chinese civilization. Calligraphers, painters, and calligraphy enthusiasts still cherish Xuan paper to this day. In Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and other Chinese communities, Xuan paper staple-bound books remain treasured.
5. Collecting Xuan paper staple-bound books among the Chinese demonstrates erudition, the taste of book collection, the antiquity of the study, and noble status. Presenting them to international friends allows them to appreciate the vastness and depth of Chinese civilization, valuing, admiring, and preserving Chinese cultural relics!
6. The production of handcrafted Xuan paper involves complex processes (38 steps), limited raw materials (young bamboo, dragon’s hair grass, sandalwood bark), manual operation, and limited production areas, making it scarce. The cover materials, such as silk and gauze, require intricate craftsmanship and are in limited supply. Handwritten printing and binding are time-consuming and labor-intensive, making mass production impossible. This is precisely why they are precious!
The Four Treasuries Collection is the largest official academic series remaining in China, commissioned by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. It represents the largest cultural project in China and even the world. The collection is divided into the four classical divisions—Confucian classics, history, philosophy, and belles lettres—comprising 3,503 titles, 79,309 volumes, with supplementary entries for 6,793 titles and 93,551 volumes, totaling over 36,000 volumes, approximately one billion characters. It is 44 times larger than the Encyclopédie edited by Denis Diderot during the same period. Many important Chinese classics before the Qianlong era are included in it. With contributions from renowned scholars of the time, it represents the highest level of academic achievement during that period. Although Emperor Qianlong’s original intention was "to suppress while collecting," it objectively organized, preserved, and classified a vast number of important classics, established the dominance of Sinology in Chinese culture, and holds unparalleled value as a historical document, source material, cultural relic, and bibliographic edition.
The Selected Edition of the Four Treasuries Collection features excerpts from the Four Treasuries Collection with the aim of facilitating reading. The selected texts are engaging, insightful, and profound, embodying the essence of thousands of years of Chinese philosophy, arts, and literature.
In February 1773, the Four Treasuries Collection was officially compiled under the direction of Chief Editors Ji Yun, Lu Xixiong, and Sun Shiyi, with Lu Fei chi as Chief Supervisor, with over 400 staff including compilers, assistant supervisors, and copyists. Prominent scholars such as Dai Zhen (master of Sinology) and Shao Jinhán (master of history), as well as Yao Nai and Zhu Yun, participated. Nearly 4,000 copyists were recruited, making it a grand assembly of literary talent. The compilation lasted 10 years, with initial completion in 1782 and final completion in 1793, at great cost, reflecting the cultural prosperity of the "Kangxi and Qianlong" in history.
In March 1773, shortly after the establishment of the Four Treasuries Collection bureau, the chief editors proposed dividing the covers of the books into different colors for the four divisions—Confucian classics (green), history (red), philosophy (white), and belles lettres (gray)—to facilitate identification.
Since the General Catalog of the Four Treasuries Collection was too extensive to browse easily, Emperor Qianlong ordered the compilation of a simplified catalog listing only titles, volumes, authors, and years to help scholars locate relevant information. Under the direction of Ji Yun and Lu Xixiong in 1774, books from the Four Treasuries Collection were categorized into the four divisions and recorded. Explanatory notes were added for special cases. The catalog was completed in 1779, comprising 20 volumes, essentially a condensed version of the General Catalog.
The classification of Chinese classical literature originated with Liu Xiang’s Seven Summaries in the Western Han Dynasty. Later, Xun Xiu of the Western Jin Dynasty established the four-division system—Confucian classics, history, philosophy, and belles lettres. Imperial libraries and institutions such as the Secretariat and Hanlin Academy followed this system for book classification. When Emperor Qianlong established the Four Treasuries Collection bureau, the collection was named accordingly. The compilation preserved many important classics before the Qianlong era.
The Four Treasuries Collection was copied into seven complete sets, stored in the Wenyuan Pavilion in the Forbidden City, the Wensu Pavilion in Shengjing (now Shenyang), the Wenyuan Pavilion in the Old Summer Palace, the Wenjin Pavilion in Chengde, and the Beisì Pavilion (North Four Pavilions or Inner Court Pavilions), accessible only to the imperial family. The remaining three sets were stored in the Wuhui Pavilion in Yangzhou, the Wuzong Pavilion in Zhenjiang, and the Wenlan Pavilion in Hangzhou (South Three Pavilions or Zhejiang Three Pavilions), where scholars were permitted to access them.
During modern China’s turbulent history, only three complete sets of the Four Treasuries Collection were preserved. The Wuhui and Wuzong pavilions were destroyed during the Second Opium War, the Wenyuan Pavilion was burned by Anglo-French forces, and the Wenlan Pavilion lost many volumes, though it was later partially restored. In 1948, the Kuomintang government transported precious artifacts from the Palace Museum to Taiwan, including the most valuable copy of the Four Treasuries Collection from the Wenyuan Pavilion, now housed in the Palace Museum in Taipei.
The Four Treasuries Collection was commissioned by Emperor Qianlong under the guise of "seeking ancient wisdom and promoting literature" but in reality served to "suppress while collecting," leading to the destruction of thousands of titles. According to surviving catalogs and records, over 2,400 books were completely destroyed, 400 partially banned, and tens of thousands of printed plates were chiseled or burned. Concurrently, the Qing government waged "literary purges," with 48 incidents occurring within the first decade of the Four Treasuries Collection bureau’s operation.
Definitions:
- Fine Edition: Books with historical, scholarly, or artistic significance, or in one of these aspects. Generally, early printed or meticulously corrected editions are considered fine.
- Unique Edition: A specific printing or manuscript of a book, with only one surviving copy.
- Private Collection: A version secretly preserved by a private collector and not accessible to outsiders.
- Banned Edition: Copies of banned books from previous or contemporary eras that survived destruction. Their preservation was risky, and their survival is rare.
- Illustrated Edition: Books with inserted illustrations. These are popular due to their vivid representations but are expensive and scarce.
- Lithographic Edition: Books printed using stone plates carved with text and ink, transferred to special paper, and then printed.
- Manuscript: A book copied from an original. A "facsimile" is a transparent copy of the original text.
- Incomplete Edition: A book damaged due to reasons such as transport, sale, copying, or disputes.
- Supplement: An edition that expands or revises the works of predecessors.
- Continuation: An edition that continues the content of an earlier work.
- Preserved Edition: A book kept for specific private purposes, often passed down through generations.
Classifications:
- Confucian Classics: Classics of Confucianism, books, poetry, rites, the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Filial Piety Classic, comprehensive Confucian studies, the Four Books, music, and philology.
- History: Official histories, annals, records of events, unofficial histories, imperial decrees and memorials, biographies, historical compilations, chronicles, local histories, official posts, political treatises, bibliographies, and historical critiques.
- Philosophy: Confucianism, military strategy, legalism, agriculture, medicine, astronomy and mathematics, divination, arts, genealogy, heterodoxy, encyclopedias, fiction, Buddhism, and Taoism.
- Belles Lettres: Chu Ci poetry, individual collections, comprehensive collections, literary criticism, and lyric poetry.
Prominent Contributors:
- Ji Yun (1724–1804): Known as Xiaolan, a famous scholar. He meticulously edited the General Catalog of the Four Treasuries Collection with Lu Xixiong, establishing it as a masterpiece of academic research, bibliography, and literary analysis. Ji Yun was also a renowned collector, and his collection Yuewei Caochang contributed 105 titles and 1,868 volumes to the Four Treasuries Collection, with 41 additional entries in the bibliography. He wrote Notes from Yuewei Caochang, among other works.
- Dai Zhen (1724–1777): Known as Dongyuan, a renowned scholar of the Qianlong era and a master of Sinology. His erudition led to his appointment as a compiler for the Great Dictionary of the Yongle Era, becoming one of the main compilers of the Four Treasuries Collection.
- Lu Xixiong (1734–1792): Known as Jiannan, from Eshan, Shanghai. As Chief Compiler of the Four Treasuries Collection, he was highly effective but died from overwork while revising the collection in winter. His dedication reflects the importance and rigor attached to the project by the imperial court.
- Yong Rong (1743–1790): The sixth son of Emperor Qianlong, styled Jiusi. A poet, calligrapher, and painter, he wrote Poetry Selection of Jiusi Study. After the Four Treasuries Collection bureau was established, Yong Rong, along with Yong Xuan, Yong Jing, Liu Tongxun, and Yu Minzhong, was appointed as a chief executive officer to oversee the bureau.
Special Features of the Selected Edition of the Four Treasuries Collection
To highlight the value of the Selected Edition and meet collecting needs, a special redwood cabinet was commissioned, measuring 2.18 meters high, 1.08 meters wide, and 0.45 meters thick. The cabinet is made of premium redwood, treated with advanced heat-vacuum drying techniques to prevent moisture and pests, ensuring durability. Fully handcrafted, the cabinet is elegant, traditional, and unique, designed to preserve the Selected Edition permanently.
For collectors, the cabinet is carved with either bamboo or dragon patterns. Collectors can choose one, two, three, or four cabinets. Customization is also available based on provided designs. The inscriptions on the cabinet were written by the renowned calligrapher Zhao Puchu, and the certificate of ownership was signed by Ren Jiyou, also using premium redwood and hand-carved.
Price (per pair): 20,000.00 yuan.
Contents of the Selected Edition of the Four Treasuries Collection
- Confucian Classics: 20 volumes in 4 boxes
- History: 300 volumes in 50 boxes
- Philosophy: 166 volumes in 33 boxes
- Belles Lettres: 120 volumes in 21 boxes
Bonus: An electronic publication of the Greater China Digital Library is included with the set.