What was the Sikuquanshu compilation project?

The Sikuquanshu, or "Complete Library in the Four Branches of Literature," was a massive literary compilation project commissioned by the Qianlong emperor in 1772. It aimed to organize the most significant texts in Chinese history into four traditional categories: classical works, historical works, philosophical works, and belles lettres.1

Directed by scholars Ji Yun and Lu Xixiong, the project involved a decade-long review of imperial and private libraries. The final work comprised 36,275 volumes, and seven handwritten sets were distributed among major imperial palaces and select libraries between 1782 and 1787.1

However, this project was inextricably linked to state censorship. While compiling the library, Qianlong ordered the destruction of approximately 2,600 titles deemed seditious for containing anti-Manchu sentiments. Even after the Sikuquanshu was completed, the emperor forced revisions to remove texts he later identified as problematic. Today, the project's descriptive catalog remains a vital bibliographic resource for the study of Chinese literature.1