Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China
{{Short description|Chinese encyclopedia completed in 1725}}
{{italic title}}
File:Columbia Qingding Gujin Tushu Jicheng.png copy of the Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China, rebound in a Western style by Professor Frederick Hirth for ease of handling]]
The Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China (or the Gujin Tushu Jicheng) is a vast encyclopedic work written in China during the reigns of the Qing dynasty emperors Kangxi and Yongzheng. It was begun in 1700 and completed in 1725. The work was headed and compiled mainly by scholar Chen Menglei ({{lang|zh-Hant|陳夢雷}}). Later on the Chinese painter Jiang Tingxi helped work on it as well.
The encyclopaedia contained 10,000 volumes. Sixty-four imprints were made of the first edition, known as the Wu-ying Hall edition. The encyclopaedia consisted of 6 series, 32 divisions, and 6,117 sections.{{cite web |url=http://www.npm.gov.tw/english/exhbition/ease0101/selec05.htm |title=Ku-chin t'u-shu chi-ch'eng (Completed Collections of Graphs and Writings of Ancient and Modern Times) |publisher=npm.gov.tw |access-date=2012-07-25 |archive-date=2010-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125074337/http://www.npm.gov.tw/english/exhbition/ease0101/selec05.htm |url-status=dead }} It contained 800,000 pages and over 100 million Chinese characters,{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Tony |title=Timelines of World History |last2=Grant |first2=R. G. |last3=Parker |first3=Philip |last4=Celtel |first4=Kay |last5=Kramer |first5=Ann |last6=Weeks |first6=Marcus |date=June 2022 |publisher=DK |isbn=978-0-7440-5627-3 |edition=First American |location=New York |page=176}} making it the largest leishu ever printed. Topics covered included natural phenomena, geography, history, literature and government. The work was printed in 1726 using copper movable type printing. It spanned around 10 thousand rolls ({{lang|zh|卷}}). To illustrate the huge size of the Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China, it is estimated to have contained 3 to 4 times the amount of material in the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition.Fowler, Robert L. (1997), "Encyclopaedias: Definitions and Theoretical Problems", in P. Binkley, Pre-Modern Encyclopaedic Texts, Brill, p. 9; citing Diény, Jean-Pierre (1991), "Les encyclopédies chinoises," in Actes du colloque de Caen 12–16 janvier 1987, Paris, p. 198.
In 1908, the Guangxu Emperor of China presented a set of the encyclopaedia in 5,000 fascicles to the China Society of London, which has deposited it on loan to Cambridge University Library.{{cite web |url=http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/chinese/intro.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121223010602/http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/chinese/intro.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-12-23 |title=Introduction to the Chinese Collections |publisher=Cambridge University Library |access-date=2012-07-25 }} Another one of the three extant copies of the encyclopedia outside of China is located at the C.V. Starr East Asian Library at Columbia University. A complete copy in Japan was destroyed in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.
One of Yongzheng's brothers patronised the project for a while, although Yongzheng contrived to give exclusive credit to his father Kangxi instead.
Name
The Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China is known as the Gujin Tushu Jicheng ({{zh|t=古今圖書集成|s=古今图书集成|p=Gǔjīn Túshū Jíchéng|l=complete collection of illustrations and books from the earliest period to the present|w=Ku-chin t'u-shu chi-ch'eng|first=t}}) or Qinding Gujin Tushu Jicheng ({{Zh|t=欽定古今圖書集成}}){{Cite book |last1=Wilkinson |first1=Endymion Porter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ERnrQq0bsPYC&pg=PA602 |title=Chinese History: A Manual |last2=Wilkinson |first2=Scholar and Diplomat (Eu Ambassador to China 1994–2001) Endymion |date=2000 |publisher=Harvard Univ Asia Center |isbn=978-0-674-00249-4 |pages=605 |language=en}} in Chinese, also translated as the Imperial Encyclopaedia, the Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Illustrations and Texts, the Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Writings and Charts, or the Complete Collection of Illustrations and Writings from the Earliest to Current Times.
Compilation
The Kangxi Emperor hired Chen Menglei of Fuzhou to compile the encyclopedia. From 1700 to 1705, Chen Menglei worked day and night, writing most of the book, including 10,000 volumes and around 160 million words. It was originally titled the Compendium or Tushu Huibian (图书汇编). By 1706 the book's first draft was completed, and the Kangxi emperor changed the title to Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China (Gujin Tushu Jicheng). When the Yongzheng emperor ascended the throne, he ordered Jiang Tingxi to help Chen Menglei finish the encyclopedia for publication by around 1725.{{Cite book |last=Elman |first=Benjamin A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qm57OqARqpAC&dq=chen+menglei&pg=PA238 |title=On Their Own Terms: Science in China, 1550–1900 |date=2009|publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-03647-5 |language=en}}
Outline
The 6 series are as follows.{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924022247658#page/n11/mode/2up|title = An alphabetical index to the Chinese encyclopaedia ... Chʻin ting ku chin tʻu shu chi chʻêng|year = 1911}}
- Heavens/Time/Calendrics (历象): Celestial objects, the seasons, calendar mathematics and astronomy, heavenly portents
- Earth/Geography (方舆): Mineralogy, political geography, list of rivers and mountains, other nations (Korea, Japan, India, Kingdom of Khotan, Ryukyu Kingdom)
- Man/Society (明论): Imperial attributes and annals, the imperial household, biographies of mandarins, kinship and relations, social intercourse, dictionary of surnames, human relations, biographies of women
- Nature (博物): Procivilities (crafts, divination, games, medicine), spirits and unearthly beings, fauna, flora (all life forms on Earth)
- Philosophy (理学): Classics of non-fiction, aspects of philosophy (numerology, filial piety, shame, etc.), forms of writing, philology and literary studies
- Economy (经济): education and imperial examination, maintenance of the civil service, food and commerce, etiquette and ceremony, music, the military system, the judicial system, styles of craft and architecture
The six series in total are subdivided into 32 subdivisions.
Note that a pre-modern sense is intended in both "society" (that is, high society) and "economy" (which could be called "society" today), and the other major divisions do not match precisely to English terms.
Gallery
= Part 1: Heavens/Astronomy =
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Strange or Unusual Phenomena - pic01 - 紫微垣圖.png|alt=
= Part 2: Geography =
Territories
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Prefectures and Other Territorial Divisions - pic001.png|alt=|Map of the Qing dynasty's east coast (Mongolia and Taiwan marked as 蒙古 and 臺灣, Ryukyu and Korea marked as 琉球 and 朝鮮)
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Prefectures and Other Territorial Divisions - pic002.png|alt=|Further inside China (Chengdu marked as 成都 and the northern desert marked as 沙漠)
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Prefectures and Other Territorial Divisions - pic008 - 保定府疆域圖.png|alt=|Map of Shanxi
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Prefectures and Other Territorial Divisions - pic277.png|alt=|Map of Guangdong
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Prefectures and Other Territorial Divisions - pic245.png|alt=|Map of Jiaozhi (Vietnam)
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Prefectures and Other Territorial Divisions - pic253.png|alt=|Map of Fujian
== Borders ==
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Borders - pic021 - 元股國.png|alt=|Yuanguguo / Xuanguguo (玄股國), one of the countries in Huainanzi
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Borders - pic097 - 斯伽里野.svg|alt=|Kingdom of Sicily (Southern Italy), transcribed as 斯伽里野
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Borders - pic090 - 麻阿塔國.svg|alt=|Ma'ata (麻阿塔國), possibly referring to Malta, located in the Mediterranean Sea
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Borders - pic102 - 大闍婆國.png|alt=|Image of person from Kalingga Kingdom in Java (大闍婆國)
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Borders - pic106 - 三佛齊國.png|alt=|Srivijaya (三佛齊國)
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Borders - pic028 - 女人國.png|alt=|Kingdom of women (女人國), recorded in travels during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, possibly referring to some part of Australia. It is mentioned in the History of Yuan and was described by the Yuan dynasty traveler Wang Dayuan.
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Borders - pic109 - 小琉球國.png|alt=|Ryukyu Kingdom
= Part 3: Society =
== Human Affairs ==
Describes some anatomy of the human body
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Human Affairs - pic0022 - 人身明堂五臟之圖.png|alt=|Diagram of human body
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Human Affairs - pic0021 - 肝有兩葉之圖.png|alt=|Liver diagram
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Human Affairs - pic0002 - 肺神圖.png|alt=
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Human Affairs - pic0020 - 肝神圖.png|alt=|Dragon
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Human Affairs - pic0005 - 脾神圖.png|alt=
== Imperial Harem ==
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Palace Doors - pic002 - 女床三星圖.svg|alt=|Palace Doors, Harem
== Imperial Perfection ==
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Imperial Perfection - pic023.svg|alt=
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Imperial Perfection - pic125.png|alt=
= Part 4: Nature =
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Spirits and the Supernatural - pic54 - 女媧神圖.svg|alt=|Image of Nüwa
== Plant Kingdom ==
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Plant Kingdom - pic099 - 石龍芮圖.png|alt=|Ranunculus sceleratus (石龍芮)
= Part 5: Philosophy =
== Canonical and other Literature section ==
File:Gǔjīn Túshū Jíchéng page.png|alt=|Page from the Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic001 - 古河圖.svg|alt=|Guhe diagram (古河圖)
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic012 - 河圖生成圖.png|alt=|Hetu Shengchengtu (河圖生成圖)
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic019 - 伏羲則河圖數定卦位圖.png|alt=|Fuxi (伏羲) diagram
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic021 - 河圖交八卦之圖.png|alt=|Bagua
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic023 - 河圖序乾父坤母六子圖.png|alt=|Qiankun (乾坤) diagram
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic030 - 周易互卦合河圖變數圖.png|alt=
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic125 - 行圖（變圖解圖附下）.svg|alt=
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic075 - 天地極數圖.svg|alt=|Tiandiji number diagram (天地极数图)
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic043.svg|alt=|Bagua trigrams
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic100 - 性圖.svg|alt=|Xingtu (性图) with calendar dates
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic008.png|alt=|Odd numbers: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Canonical and other Literature - pic034 - 奇偶圖.png|alt=|Parity: even and odd numbers
== Education and Conduct ==
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Education and Conduct - pic001 - 太極圖.png|alt=|Taijitu and Wuxing (Chinese philosophy)
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Education and Conduct - pic129.png|alt=
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Education and Conduct - pic134 - 伏羲太極圖.svg|alt=|Fuxi's Taijitu
== Study of Characters ==
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - The Study of Characters - pic04 - 王應電六義圖解.png|alt=|Wang Yingdian liuyi tujie (王應電六義圖解)
= Part 6: Economy =
== Military ==
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Military Administration - pic303 - 輪流進弩圖.svg|alt=|Crossbowmen
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Military Administration - pic302 - 輪流發弩圖.png|alt=
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Military Administration - pic062 - 樓船圖.png|alt=|Navy
File:Counterweight trebuchet 1726.jpg|alt=|Counterweight trebuchet
== Punishments and blessing ==
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Punishments and Blessing - pic0009 - 貫索九星圖.png|alt=|Nine star diagram (九星图)
== Food ==
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Foods and Other Articles of Commerce - pic001.png|alt=
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Foods and Other Articles of Commerce - pic414.svg|alt=
See also
References
= Citations =
{{Reflist}}
= Sources =
External links
{{Wikisourcelang|zh|欽定古今圖書集成|Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China}}
- [http://192.83.187.228/gjtsnet/index.htm 故宮東吳數位古今圖書集成] etext
- [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/469510356 WorldCat]
- [https://archive.org/details/cu31924022247658 Archive.org]
- [http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Search/Home?lookfor=%22%20Ku%20chin%20t'u%20shu%20chi%20ch'eng%22&type=subject&inst=all HathiTrust]
- [https://archive.today/20130418221935/http://www.chengwen.com.tw/en/032.htm An Alphabetical Index To The Chinese Encyclopaedia]
- [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/469510356 WorldCat]
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=3vE4HQAACAAJ Google Books]
- [http://www.npm.gov.tw/english/exhbition/ease0101/selec05.htm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125074337/http://www.npm.gov.tw/english/exhbition/ease0101/selec05.htm |date=2010-11-25 }}
- [http://www.npm.gov.tw/exhbition/dro0001/english/c3main.htm]
- [https://www.loc.gov/rr/asian/guide/guide-chinese.html Library of Congress]
{{Qing dynasty topics}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1725 non-fiction books
Category:1726 non-fiction books
Category:18th-century encyclopedias
Category:Chinese encyclopedias