Chinese Encyclopedias

Chinese encyclopedias are encyclopedias published in the Chinese language or encyclopedias about China and Chinese-related topics. The origin of encyclopedias in China can be traced to the late Han dynasty, circa 220 CE. Chinese has two words for "encyclopedia, encyclopedic", common baike (Chinese: 百科; pinyin: bǎikē; Wade–Giles: pai-ke; literally "hundred subjects") and literary dadian (Chinese: 大典; pinyin: dàdiǎn; Wade–Giles: ta-tien; literally "great canon"). For example, baike quanshu (百科全書 "hundred subjects complete book") "comprehensive encyclopedia" and Yongle dadian (永樂大典 'Yongle great canon) "Yongle Encyclopedia". Encyclopedic works were published in China for well over one and a half thousand years before China's first modern encyclopedias were published after China's economic liberalization in the 1980s, during the reform period. Several encyclopedias have been published in China since then, including several specialist and children's encyclopedias. The major title currently available - in both paper and online versions - is the Encyclopedia of China (中国大百科全书 Zhōngguó Dà Bǎikē Quánshū), published by Encyclopedia of China Publishing House.

Since the 21st century, with internet use proliferating, a number of online encyclopedias have been started. The three largest online Chinese encyclopedias are Hudong, Baidu Baike and Chinese Wikipedia.