RareBooks in National Palace Museum, Yuan dynasty

Welcome to the National Palace Museum's collection of rare books from the Yuan dynasty! These texts were written by some of China's most influential scholars, and they provide us with a unique insight into Chinese culture during this period. You will find literary collections from Fan Zhongyan, annotated editions of The Analects, classified drafts of the Yuan-feng Era, essentials to the collected meaning of The Four Books, dynastic regulations for sagacious rule of the Great Yuan, and painting catalogues of the Hsuan-ho Collection. We hope you enjoy exploring these incredible artifacts!

1. Literary Collection of Fan Zhongyan

Fan Zhongyan was a native of Wuxian, Jiangsu province. He was a diligent student who was very ambitious and talented. He also had a strong sense of social duty. Fan's collected writings were originally called "Tan-yang chi" (Tan-yang Anthology), but after he died,

2. The Analects

"Lun-yu chi-chieh" is an annotated edition of "Lun-yu", a book by He Yan, Sun Yung, Cheng Ch'ung, Ts'ao Hsi, and Hsun I.

3. Classified Draft of the Yuan-feng Era

Zeng Gong was a man from Nan-feng in Chien-ch'ang during the Tang and Song Dynasties. He was known for his wide range of knowledge, having assembled and collated a library of rare works.

4. Essentials to the Collected Meaning of The Four Books

Liu Yin, a scholar from the Song dynasty, became a hermit after the fall of the dynasty in 1279. His book "Essentials to the Collected Meaning of The Four Books" was printed with exceptional quality.

5. Dynastic Regulations for Sagacious Rule of the Great Yuan

The Yuan dynasty imprint is one of the earliest examples of a text describing the government's rule. Although there is no information about the editor or date of printing, it is still an important source for the study of the Yuan dynasty.

6. Painting Catalogue of the Hsuan-ho Collection

This book is a catalogue of the imperial collection of paintings from the Jin dynasty to the Northern Song dynasty, including 6396 paintings and even some Japanese paintings. The book was completed in 1120, but the editor(s) remain unknown.