Library Completes Digitization of Yongle Encyclopedia, Largest Reference Work of Pre-Modern Era

The Library of Congress has completed a yearslong effort to digitize the Yongle Encyclopedia (Yongle dadian 永樂大典), the largest reference work created in pre-modern China, and possibly the world. Digital publication of the 41 volumes held in the Library's collections provides open access to one of the most extensive attempts in world history to capture the entirety of human knowledge in book form.