description Taiping Yulan Overview
Taiping Yulan is a Chinese leishu, or classified encyclopedia, commissioned by Emperor Taizong of the Northern Song dynasty and compiled between 977 and 983. The work is arranged in 1,000 chapters and quotes extensively from earlier texts. It is counted among the Four Great Books of Song and is preserved as an important source for reconstructing lost pre-Song literature.
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Which emperor commissioned the creation of the Taiping Yulan?
The encyclopedia was commissioned by Emperor Taizong of the Northern Song dynasty, who ordered its compilation between 977 and 983 CE. Taizong specifically requested the work to consolidate the vast literary knowledge of previous dynasties for the imperial court.
How large is the Taiping Yulan?
The work is a massive classified encyclopedia arranged into exactly 1,000 chapters (juan) and is divided into 5,000 different categories. It quotes extensively from thousands of earlier texts, many of which have since been lost to history, making it an invaluable historical resource.
What is the Taiping Yulan's relationship to the 'Four Great Books of Song'?
The Taiping Yulan is officially counted as one of the Four Great Books of Song, a collection of massive encyclopedias compiled during the early Northern Song dynasty. The other three books in the set are the Taiping Guangji, the Wenyuan Yinghua, and the Cefu Yuangui.
Did Emperor Taizong actually read the entire Taiping Yulan?
Historical records claim that Emperor Taizong set himself a goal to read exactly three chapters of the encyclopedia every single day. According to court historians, he successfully finished reading the entire 1,000-chapter compendium within a single year.
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