Prime Tortoise of the Record Bureau
Encyclopedia
The Prime Tortoise of the Record Bureau was the largest encyclopedia
compiled during the Chinese Song Dynasty
(960-1279 AD). It was the last of the Four Great Books of Song
, the previous three encyclopedias published in the 10th century.
The encyclopedia was originally named Narrative of Monarchs and Officials in the Past Dynasties but was later renamed to Yuangui, meaning the oracle tortoise shells
, and Cefu, the imperial's storehouse of literature
. The work started from 1005 and finished in 1013 by Wang Qinruo and a numerous of scholars. It was among one of the four books that was divided up in to 1,000 volumes, but was almost twice as large as the Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era
and was ranked second in the Siku Quanshu
collections. It consisted of about 9.4 million words (or Chinese characters), which included many political essay
s, autobiographies of rulers and subjects, memorial
s, and decree
s.
Chinese encyclopedias
Chinese dictionaries
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
compiled during the Chinese Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
(960-1279 AD). It was the last of the Four Great Books of Song
Four Great Books of Song
The Four Great Books of Song was compiled by Li Fang and others during the Song Dynasty . The term was coined after the last book was finished during the 11th century...
, the previous three encyclopedias published in the 10th century.
The encyclopedia was originally named Narrative of Monarchs and Officials in the Past Dynasties but was later renamed to Yuangui, meaning the oracle tortoise shells
Oracle bone
Oracle bones are pieces of bone normally from ox scapula or turtle plastron which were used for divination chiefly during the late Shang Dynasty. The bones were first inscribed with divination in oracle bone script by using a bronze pin, and then heated until crack lines appeared in which the...
, and Cefu, the imperial's storehouse of literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. The work started from 1005 and finished in 1013 by Wang Qinruo and a numerous of scholars. It was among one of the four books that was divided up in to 1,000 volumes, but was almost twice as large as the Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era
Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era
The Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era is a massive encyclopedia compiled by a number of officers commissioned by the imperial court of the Song Dynasty with the lead editor being Li Fang from 977 to 983 during the era of Taiping Xingguo. It is divided into 1,000 volumes and 55 sections, which...
and was ranked second in the Siku Quanshu
Siku Quanshu
The Siku Quanshu, variously translated as the Imperial Collection of Four, Emperor's Four Treasuries, Complete Library in Four Branches of Literature, or Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, is the largest collection of books in Chinese history and probably the most ambitious editorial...
collections. It consisted of about 9.4 million words (or Chinese characters), which included many political essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s, autobiographies of rulers and subjects, memorial
Memorandum
A memorandum is from the Latin verbal phrase memorandum est, the gerundive form of the verb memoro, "to mention, call to mind, recount, relate", which means "It must be remembered ..."...
s, and decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
s.
See also
- Four Great Books of SongFour Great Books of SongThe Four Great Books of Song was compiled by Li Fang and others during the Song Dynasty . The term was coined after the last book was finished during the 11th century...
- Chinese literatureChinese literatureChinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
- Chinese classic textsChinese classic textsChinese classic texts, or Chinese canonical texts, today often refer to the pre-Qin Chinese texts, especially the Neo-Confucian titles of Four Books and Five Classics , a selection of short books and chapters from the voluminous collection called the Thirteen Classics. All of these pre-Qin texts...
Chinese encyclopedias
Chinese dictionaries
- Culture of the Song DynastyCulture of the Song DynastyThe Song Dynasty was a culturally rich and sophisticated age for China. There was blossoming of and advancements in the visual arts, music, literature, and philosophy...
- History of the Song DynastyHistory of the Song DynastyThe Song Dynasty of China was a ruling dynasty that controlled China proper and southern China from the middle of the 10th century into the last quarter of the 13th century...
External links
- Cefu yuangui "The Prime Tortoise of the Record Bureau" — Chinaknowledge.de.