Cause & Context
To demonstrate imperial cultural legitimacy and preserve China's intellectual heritage, the Yongle Emperor ordered the encyclopedic compilation of all existing Chinese literature.
Epochal Overview
Under editors Yao Guangxiao and Xie Jin, over 2,000 scholars spent five years compiling 22,877 volumes containing 370 million characters, encompassing astronomy, geography, medicine, arts, and religion.
Key Figures
The Yongle Emperor (Zhu Di) patronized the massive undertaking organized by Grand Secretary Xie Jin and Buddhist chancellor Yao Guangxiao.
Civilizational Impact
Praised by the *Encyclopaedia Britannica* as the largest encyclopedia in human history, the *Yongle Dadian* preserved thousands of rare classical texts from destruction.