- Compiled: 1407
- Chinese/Japanese: 永楽大典 (yongle dadain / eiraku daiten)
The Yongle Dadain is a Chinese encyclopedia compiled in 1407, and the largest encyclopedia ever written.
It was commissioned by the Yongle Emperor in 1407, who commanded 2,000 literati to assemble it. The final product is divided into 22,877 chapters, and contains the complete canon of the Chinese Classics.
References
- Plutschow, Herbert. A Reader in Edo Period Travel. Kent: Global Oriental, 2006. p13.