Huanglan

Chinese encyclopaedia

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

The Huanglan, meaning "Imperial Anthology," was the first known Chinese encyclopedia, prepared around AD 220. Unlike modern Western encyclopedias, traditional Chinese encyclopedias are primarily anthologies of significant literature, often serving to aid candidates for the civil service. The Huanglan has not survived into modern times.1

A later and more famous compilation was the Yongle dadian, completed in 1408 during the Ming dynasty. This massive work aimed to encompass all existing Chinese literature on various subjects. While it contained over 22,000 manuscript rolls, sadly, fewer than 400 volumes of its original copies remain today.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

encyclopaedia
China
…first known Chinese encyclopaedia, the Huanglan (“Imperial Anthology”), was prepared by order of the emperor about ad 220. No part of this work has survived. Part of the Bianzhu (“Stringed Pearls of Literature”), prepared about 600, is still extant. About 620 the Yiwen leiju (“Anthology of Art and Literature”) was…
Read More
…first known Chinese encyclopaedia, the Huanglan (“Imperial Anthology”), was prepared by order of the emperor about ad 220. No part of this work has survived. Part of the Bianzhu (“Stringed Pearls of Literature”), prepared about 600, is still extant. About 620 the Yiwen leiju (“Anthology of Art and Literature”) was…
Read More