Top 10 Largest Literature Compilations in Human History
This ranking evaluates the scale of literature compilations (in word count or volume count) commissioned by a single regime. It highlights the pinnacle achievements of human civilization in systematizing knowledge and cultural preservation throughout history, reflecting the grand visions of regimes for cultural consolidation.
Interesting Facts & Summary
With a staggering 370 million characters, the Yongle Encyclopedia sits unchallenged at the summit of human literary compilation. If printed and laid flat, it would cover multiple football fields. While the modern Wikipedia dwarfs it in terms of total entries, the Yongle Encyclopedia remains the 'Mount Everest' of human publishing in terms of sheer human labor and historical density. Interestingly, although it originally spanned over 11,000 volumes, less than 4% survives today due to the ravages of history. These precious fragments are so rare that a single page often fetches astronomical sums at international auctions, marking them as the most expensive 'digital' fragments in human history.
| Rank | Name | Scale (Volumes) | Era |
|---|---|---|---|
Yongle Dadian | 22937 | Ming Dynasty | |
Siku Quanshu | 36381 | Qing Dynasty | |
Tripitaka | 12000 | Multiple dynasties/Ming finalized | |
| 4 | Gujin Tushu Jicheng | 10000 | Qing Dynasty |
| 5 | Encyclopædia Britannica (15th Ed.) | 32 | Modern Era |
| 6 | Cefu Yuangui | 1000 | Northern Song Dynasty |
| 7 | Taiping Yulan | 1000 | Northern Song Dynasty |
| 8 | Wenyuan Yinghua | 1000 | Northern Song Dynasty |
| 9 | Cefu Yuangui | 1000 | Northern Song Dynasty |
| 10 | Peiwen Yunfu | 444 | Qing Dynasty |