Yuhai

Chinese encyclopaedia

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July 15, 2026

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The Yuhai (meaning "Sea of Jade") was a significant Chinese encyclopaedia compiled around 1267 by the scholar Wang Yinglin during the Song dynasty. It was a vast collection of knowledge, later reprinted in 240 volumes in 1738.1

Chinese encyclopaedias, like the Yuhai, traditionally served as anthologies of important literature, often aiding candidates for the civil service. They typically followed a classified arrangement and were revised over centuries rather than being replaced. The Yuhai is considered one of the richest and most important of these compilations.1

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…of all Chinese encyclopaedias, the Yuhai (“Sea of Jade”), was compiled about 1267 by the renowned Song scholar Wang Yinglin (1223–92) and was reprinted in 240 volumes in 1738.
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…of all Chinese encyclopaedias, the Yuhai (“Sea of Jade”), was compiled about 1267 by the renowned Song scholar Wang Yinglin (1223–92) and was reprinted in 240 volumes in 1738.
Read More