Four Great Books of Song
Encyclopedia
The Four Great Books of Song was compiled by Li Fang
(925-996) and others during the Song Dynasty
(960–1279). The term was coined after the last book (Cefu Yuangui) was finished during the 11th century. The four encyclopedias were published and intended to collect the whole knowledge of the new state.
The four books are:
Li Fang
Li Fang , courtesy name Mingyuan , was a Chinese scholar, compiler and prime minister from the Song Dynasty known for his leading in the compilation for the three of the Four Great Books of Song. He was born in what is now Hengshui, Hebei and once served the Later Han and Later Zhou....
(925-996) and others during the 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). The term was coined after the last book (Cefu Yuangui) was finished during the 11th century. The four encyclopedias were published and intended to collect the whole knowledge of the new state.
The four books are:
- Imperial Readings of the Taiping EraImperial Readings of the Taiping EraThe 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...
太平御覽 is a general encyclopedia. - Extensive Records of the Taiping Era 太平廣記 is a collection of gods, deities, fairies, ghost storiesGhost storyA ghost story may be any piece of fiction, or drama, or an account of an experience, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them. Colloquially, the term can refer to any kind of scary story. In a narrower sense, the ghost story has...
and theologyTheologyTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. - Finest Blossoms in the Garden of LiteratureFinest Blossoms in the Garden of LiteratureThe Finest Blossoms in the Garden of Literature is an anthology of poetry, odes, songs and writings from the Liang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties era. The book was compiled by a team of officers headed by Li Fang under an imperial order from 982 to 986, during the Song Dynasty...
文苑英華 is an anthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
of poetryPoetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, odesOdesOdes may refer to:*The plural of ode, a type of poem*Odes , a collection of poems by the Roman author Horace, circa 65 - 8 BC*Odes of Solomon, a pseudepigraphic book of the Bible*Book of Odes , a Deuterocanonical book of the Bible...
, songs and other writings. - Prime Tortoise of the Record BureauPrime Tortoise of the Record BureauThe Prime Tortoise of the Record Bureau was the largest encyclopedia compiled during the Chinese Song Dynasty . It was the last of the Four Great Books of Song, the previous three encyclopedias published in the 10th century....
冊府元龜 is an encyclopedia of political essays, autobiographies, memorials and decrees.
External links
- http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Literature/literature.html
- History of China: A good collection of information on Chinese history