What are the six major categories of the 'Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books' compiled by Chen Menglei?
The six major categories are 'Li Xiang' (astronomy and celestial phenomena), 'Fang Yu' (geography and feng shui), 'Ming Lun' (ethics and human relations), 'Bo Wu' (natural sciences), 'Li Xue' (philosophy and cognition), and 'Jing Ji' (governance and management). These categories cover a wide range of knowledge from the heavens to the earth, and from personal ethics to societal governance.
How does the 'Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books' compare to other major literary works in terms of size?
The 'Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books' is massive, comprising 10,000 volumes with 160 million characters. In comparison, the Buddhist 'Tripitaka' contains 90 million characters. The collection's sheer size and complexity make it a monumental achievement in Chinese literature.
What was the significance of Chen Menglei's role in compiling the 'Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books'?
Chen Menglei single-handedly compiled the 'Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books' over five years, from 1701 to 1706, and spent an additional decade refining it. His work was so extensive that it equated to completing 100 major social science projects by modern standards. His dedication and intellectual prowess are unparalleled.
What was the role of the Yangzhou Printing House in the Qing dynasty?
The Yangzhou Printing House, established in 1705 under the supervision of Cao Yin (grandfather of Cao Xueqin, author of 'Dream of the Red Chamber'), specialized in printing poetry collections, such as the 'Complete Tang Poems' and 'Complete Song Lyrics'. This focus on poetry distinguished it from other imperial printing houses that primarily produced historical and religious texts.
What was the impact of the Wuying Palace's 'Juzhen Edition' on printing technology?
The 'Juzhen Edition' of the Wuying Palace preserved and documented the entire process of movable type printing in great detail. Jin Jian, the project supervisor, wrote 'Wuying Palace Juzhen Edition Chronicles,' which became a crucial historical document in the field of printing. This work was later translated into multiple languages, influencing global printing history.