Nine Classics Characters, Six Classics Profound Arguments (Bible Department - 108)

Author: Tang Xuandu, Zheng Qiao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: In the 37th year of the Qianlong reign (1772), Emperor Qianlong Hongli issued an edict to establish the Siku Quanshu (Complete Collection of the Four Treasuries) Academy. The following year, he ordered the compilation of the "Siku Quanshu." Since the Tang and Song dynasties, successive dynasties had formed the tradition of collecting and compiling classics. During the Tang Dynasty, there were works like "Yiwencailü" (Compendium of the Manners and Arts of the World) and "Baitang Shucao" (Bibliotheca Baitang). In the Song Dynasty, there were "Taiping Yujie" (Imperial Encyclopaedia of the Great Peace) and "Cufu Yuanqiu" (Comprehensive Library of the Imperial Court). Especially noteworthy is the "Yongle Dadian" (Yongle Encyclopedia) compiled during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, which consisted of 22,937 volumes and included over 7,800 types of books, truly a monumental work. During the Kangxi and Yongzheng reigns of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing court compiled the "Gujin Tushu Jicheng" (Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Works), comprising 10,000 volumes.
By the Qianlong era, Zhu Yun, the Academician of Anhui, believed that the "Yongle Dadian" did not fully encompass all existing books. Therefore, he submitted a memorial proposing the widespread collection of lost books from the (private sector) and establishing specialized institutions to collate and edit the "Yongle Dadian" held by the Hanlin Academy. As a result, Emperor Qianlong issued an edict to establish the Siku Quanshu Academy, appointing over 160 renowned scholars such as Ji Yun to begin compiling the "Siku Quanshu."
The publication and distribution of this work, whether for the study and organization of historical documents or for research on ancient Chinese history and thought culture, hold obvious positive significance. At the same time, since the "Siku Quanshu Huayao" (Essentials of the Siku Quanshu) was already a masterpiece in itself, supplemented by modern printing technology, this set of books naturally deserves to be a treasured collection for libraries of all sizes and private collectors.