List of encyclopedias in Chinese

Note: Within this list, Chinese encyclopedia translates leishu, a traditional Chinese reference work that, unlike a modern encyclopedia with expressly written articles, consists of excerpts from primary texts arranged by categories. Fascicle translates juan 卷 "scroll; fascicle; volume" for early (pre-20th century) encyclopedias and volume refers to modern encyclopedias.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

List of encyclopedias in Chinese

Date	Period	Title	Notes
c. 5th cent. BCE	Spring and Autumn / Warring States period	Kaogongji	Oldest extant technical encyclopedia[1][2]
c. 4th cent. BCE	Warring States	Erya	First Chinese dictionary/encyclopedia
c. 2nd cent. BCE	Han dynasty	Shiben	First Chinese encyclopedia of origins, largely a lost work, but later partially reconstructed
c. 222 CE	Cao Wei	Huanglan	First Chinese leishu encyclopedia, for Emperor Cao Pi, lost work, with only fragments surviving
624	Tang dynasty	Yiwen Leiju	Encyclopedia of literature, Ouyang Xun, 100 fascicles
668	Tang dynasty	Fayuan Zhulin	Chinese Buddhist encyclopedia, 100 fascicles
729	Tang dynasty	Kaiyuan Zhanjing	First Chinese astrology encyclopedia, Gautama Siddha, 120 fascicles
801	Tang dynasty	Tongdian	Encyclopedia of institutional history, Du You, 200 fascicles
978	Northern Song dynasty	Taiping Guangji	Collection of historical and supernatural stories, Li Fang, 500 fascicles
983	Northern Song dynasty	Taiping Yulan	Encyclopedia of history and literature, Li Fang, 1,000 fascicles
985	Northern Song dynasty	Wenyuan Yinghua	Anthology of literature from Liang dynasty to the Five Dynasties era, Li Fang, 1,000 fascicles
1013	Northern Song dynasty	Cefu Yuangui	Largest Song period encyclopedia, Wang Qinruo, 1,000 fascicles
1088	Northern Song dynasty	Mengxi Bitan	Encyclopedia of natural phenomena, Shen Kuo, 30 fascicles
1116	Southern Song dynasty	Tongzhi	Comprehensive encyclopedia of history, 200 fascicles
1408	Ming dynasty	Yongle Encyclopedia	Largest general leishu encyclopedia, quotes from 8,000 texts, 22,937 fascicles
1609	Ming dynasty	Sancai Tuhui	Illustrated encyclopedia of articles in many fields of knowledge, 106 fascicles
1621	Ming dynasty	Wubei Zhi	Encyclopedic history of military affairs, 240 fascicles
1627	Ming dynasty	Yuanxi Qiqi Tushuo Luzui	Chinese illustrated encyclopedia of Western mechanical devices, Johann Schreck, 3 fascicles
1637	Ming dynasty	Tiangong Kaiwu	Encyclopedia of science and technology, Song Yingxing, 18 fascicles
1726	Qing dynasty	Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China	Largest leishu ever printed, 852,408 pages, 10,000 fascicles
1773	Lê dynasty (Vietnam)	Vân đài loại ngữ	Chinese-language Vietnamese encyclopedia, Lê Quý Đôn, 4 fascicles
1782	Qing dynasty	Complete Library of the Four Treasuries	Largest collection of Chinese history, philosophy, and literature, Ji Yun, 79,000 fascicles
1917	Republic of China	The Encyclopaedia Sinica	First English-language encyclopedia on China, 1 volume
1938	Republic of China	Cihai	First modern general-purpose encyclopedic dictionary, 2 volumes
1978	People's Republic of China	Encyclopedia of China	First large-scale modern Chinese encyclopedia, 74 volumes
1980-1993	Republic of China	Chinese Encyclopedia	Illustrated general-purpose encyclopedia, 10 volumes
1985-1991	People's Republic of China	Concise Encyclopædia Britannica	Translated general-purpose encyclopedia, 11 volumes
2002	Modern China	Chinese Wikipedia	Chronologically first Chinese online encyclopedia but third by the number of articles
2005	Modern China	Hudong	Probably the largest Chinese online encyclopedia
2006	Modern China	Baidu Baike	One of the two largest Chinese-language collaborative web-based encyclopedia
1989-2019	Modern China	Zhonghua Dadian (中华大典)	Encyclopedia of Chinese classic texts, "the biggest cultural project since the founding of the People's Republic of China"

References

1. Mei, Jianjun (2021). "Kao Gong Ji: The World's Oldest Encyclopaedia of Technologies trans. by Guan Zengjian and Konrad Herrmann (review)". Technology and Culture. 62 (2): 591–593. doi:10.1353/tech.2021.0101.
2. Ashley Strickland (August 9, 2022). "Mystery ingredients in ancient recipes for bronze objects deciphered by researchers". CNN. Retrieved 2025-01-02.