Qingchao xu wenxian tongkao

The Qingchao xu wenxian tongkao is an encyclopaedia compiled by Liu Jinzao. It was revised and enlarged in 400 volumes in 1921. This work includes contemporary material on fiscal, administrative, and industrial affairs, with some attention to technical matters. Chinese encyclopaedias, historically, have served as anthologies of literature and aided candidates for the civil service. The Chinese examination system, which dominated education from the Song dynasty onward, focused on Confucian texts and produced an elite grounded in common teachings, though it was criticized for emphasizing rote learning. The Qingchao xu wenxian tongkao is a later example of this tradition, incorporating more modern administrative and industrial information.12