The encyclopedia was compiled by a team of over 2,000 scholars and took over 10 years to complete. It was intended to be a comprehensive collection of all existing knowledge, covering topics ranging from history and literature to science and technology.
While the Yongle Dadian originally comprised 22,877 volumes and was considered the largest encyclopedia ever compiled, only a small fraction of it has survived to this day. Nonetheless, it remains a valuable resource for understanding Chinese culture and history.