Write way to spend the holiday
Print Edition
There is now a new way to spend Chinese New Year: practicing calligraphy by copying manuscripts from one of the world’s oldest and largest encyclopedias.
The National Library of China announced that selected manuscripts of “Yongle Dadian” — the Great Encyclopedia of Yongle — will be on display from tomorrow to March 2.
The public is invited to view and copy some of the classic chapters.
The encyclopedia was commissioned by Emperor Yongle in 1403.
Thousands of scholars spent four years collecting nearly 8,000 kinds of books available at that time and compiled the 22,877-scroll, or 11,095-volume encyclopedia. Regarded as a national treasure, the book covers a wide range of subjects.
However, the original and most of the copied manuscripts were lost, partly due to the invasion of Western powers in China at the beginning of the 20th century. The national library houses about 220 out of the 400 known existing volumes.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
