Commissioned by the Yongle Emperor (1402-1424, Ming Dynasty) and also known as the 'Yongle Dadian,' it stands as one of the greatest compilations of knowledge in the history of human civilization▶️
Ranking among the most grievous losses of history is the 永樂大典, a giant encyclopaedia compiled at imperial behest, spread over 11000 vols. Over time, many were lost but the worst blow came with the 1901 plunder of Beijing by the Western powers, which left only 64 vols intact.
