Abstract

The history of the Yongle Dadian’s[1] creation, near total destruction, its wanton dispersal, its promising reprinting and possible digitization, is but one example of a fascinating cultural treasure worth studying. As this paper will show, even the partial recovery of an artifact brings to light the significant contribution of a culture, a time, and a people. The author will trace the course of the Yonele Dadian over 600 years. From the original compilation during the fifteenth century Ming Dynasty to the burning and looting of the prestigious Hanlin Academy where it was held during the 1900 Siege of Peking. The function and rising importance of the Hanlin Academy as a cultural repository of Chinese scholarship will be discussed. In addition, relying on siege diaries and other primary source materials, the author will present what occurred on that fateful day of June 23, 1900 when the Hanlin Academy was reduced to ashes and its contents looted. Lastly, the author will conclude with the recent reclamation efforts of the Yongle Dadian and touch upon the role of libraries as repositories of intellectual heritage and cultural record.

Details

Title
The Yongle Dadian: The Origin, Destruction, Dispersal and Reclamation of a Chinese Cultural Treasure
Author
Christos, Lauren
Section
Communication
Publication year
2010
Publication date
Apr 2010
Publisher
National Taiwan Normal University, Graduate Institute of Library & Information Studies
ISSN
0363-3640
e-ISSN
2224-1574
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2001084158
Copyright
© 2010 Lauren Christos. This work is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (the License). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.