Author Description

The Sikuquanshu, or the Complete Library of the Four Branches of Literature, is the largest series of books coming down to us from ancient China. It has had a profound influence on the development of China's academic culture. The study of this collection has formed a keystone of learning since the beginning of the twentieth century. This book discusses some important and fundamental questions, such as: When was the Hall set up, and when did it close? What were its agencies, and where were they located? How many people worked there? Zhang Sheng's research emphasizes the detail of such questions, and his remarkable book adds to scholarship about the Sikuquanshu.