Ming dynasty work shows how Chinese understood the world in the 1600s
Long before the digital age, a Ming dynasty scholar made it his mission to map human knowledge from a Chinese perspective. The result was an encyclopaedia spanning 127 volumes known as the Tushu Bian, or Compendium of Illustrations and Texts. The work – published in 1613 – was compiled by Neo-Confucian scholar Zhang Huang and drew on more than 200 printed sources across several decades to…
In the 1600s, a scholar from the Ming dynasty sought to encapsulate human knowledge from a Chinese viewpoint. This monumental endeavor resulted in the Tushu Bian, or Compendium of Illustrations and Texts, a comprehensive 127-volume encyclopedia published in 1613. Compiled by Neo-Confucian scholar Zhang Huang over more than two decades, the work drew from over 200 distinct printed sources.
The objective was to provide an educated individual with all the necessary illustrations and texts to comprehend the world around them. Information designer Paul Kahn, who examined the encyclopaedia, noted that the Tushu Bian was too costly to print during Zhang's lifetime and was eventually carved onto woodblocks and printed posthumously.
Comparing the Tushu Bian with six other books representing Western culture, Kahn highlighted its unique visual portrayal of Chinese culture at the time when Asia and the West were interacting. One notable difference is the depiction of the Grand Canal and major rivers, which is more detailed and descriptive compared to the other books.
In the Tushu Bian, rivers are presented as continuous, detailed descriptions of every location along the waterway, rather than as simple networks and lines connecting different places. This is in contrast to modern maps that typically use a bird's-eye view or a north-south orientation. The Tushu Bian often features rivers flowing horizontally, from right to left, regardless of cardinal directions, reflecting the mental conventions of the time.
Another distinctive feature of the Tushu Bian is its depiction of the human body as a channel for the primordial qi, or energy inherited from one's parents, connecting heaven and Earth. Detailed diagrams of human organs are included in the work, showing the connection between the body and the natural world. This is a unique aspect that is absent in the other books, with the exception of the Catalan Atlas, a 14th-century world atlas.
The Catalan Atlas includes a human figure with each external body part, showing internal organs and providing astrological information and numerical instructions for medical procedures like bloodletting.
The Tushu Bian was intended for Zhang Huang's students and those preparing for the imperial examination, a rigorous selection process for government workers. The encyclopedia makes no mention of the seven naval expeditions led by Admiral Zheng He between 1405 and 1433, instead focusing on the Chinese Empire and its defense against invasions. Kahn emphasized the importance of understanding the source of information, whether it is a historical visualization or modern AI-generated content and deepfakes.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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