Written work begins on the Siku Quanshu

Background. The Siku Quanshu, or Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, is a Chinese encyclopedia commissioned during the Qing dynasty by the Qianlong Emperor. Commissioned in 1772, it became the largest collection of books in imperial Chinese history. Local and provincial officers were put in charge of locating and collecting important books, and the emperor encouraged owners of rare or valuable books to send them to the capital. The Siku Quanshu surpassed the 1403 Yongle Encyclopedia of the previous Ming dynasty.

Commencement of Work. In 1772, the Qianlong Emperor ordered the creation of the encyclopedia. Local and provincial officers were tasked with locating and collecting important books. By March 1773, an editorial board composed of hundreds of editors, collators, and copyists had been created in Beijing to gather and review books brought to them.

Editorial Board. The editorial board in Beijing included more than 361 scholars, with Ji Yun and Lu Xixiong as chief editors. Around 3,826 scribes copied every word by hand. They were not paid in cash, but each was given a government position after transcribing a set number of sections of the encyclopedia.

Bibliography and Catalogue. The initial compilation started with the Siku Quanshu Zongmu Tiyao bibliography. One passage states it was completed by 1773, while another states it had also been completed by 1782, a discrepancy left explicit here. The complete encyclopedia contains an annotated catalogue of 10,680 titles along with a compendium of 3,593 titles. The first workable drafts were completed in 1781.