Work / monument · text

Siku Quanshu

1773–1782 · 18th century · Also known as Complete Library of the Four Treasuries

The Siku Quanshu, or Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, was a vast compilation of Chinese literature ordered by the Qianlong Emperor in 1773 and completed in 1782. Arranged in the four categories of classics, history, philosophy and literature, it copied more than 3,400 works by hand into seven sets. The project also served the Literary Inquisition, as thousands of works judged seditious were destroyed or altered.

Siku Quanshu
Image: Ji, Yun, 1724-1805 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Qing EmpireGovernanceClassical ChineseLiterature

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Siku Quanshu. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/siku-quanshu
MLA
“Siku Quanshu.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/siku-quanshu. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Siku Quanshu.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/siku-quanshu.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Siku Quanshu’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/siku-quanshu (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻