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It was commissioned by the [[Yongle Emperor]] in 1407, who commanded 2,000 [[literati]] to assemble it. The final product was divided into 22,877 chapters, and contained the complete canon of the [[Chinese Classics]].

It was commissioned by the [[Yongle Emperor]] in 1407, who commanded 2,000 [[literati]] to assemble it. The final product was divided into 22,877 chapters, and contained the complete canon of the [[Chinese Classics]].

Only a few manuscript copies were ever produced, and most were unfortunately lost in a series of fires in the 19th century; only a few thousand pages are known to survive today, though some believe a complete copy may have been buried with the Yongle Emperor.

Only a few manuscript copies were ever produced, and most were unfortunately lost in a series of fires in the 19th century; only a few thousand pages are known to survive today, having been discovered in a secondhand bookshop early in the 20th century. These sections contain, among much else, the only surviving copies of a number of [[Song Dynasty|Song]] and [[Yuan Dynasty]] theatrical plays. Some believe, however, that a complete copy of the encyclopedia may have been buried with the Yongle Emperor.

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