Skip to main content

SourceLibrary^Beta

Collections Gallery Browse Timeline Libraries Reading Room

This library is built in the open.

If you spot an error, have a suggestion, or just want to say hello — we’d love to hear from you.

Library

Browse Books
Browse A–Z
Gallery
Collections
Libraries
Timeline
Search

About

About
Translation Census
Progress
Research Notes
Privacy
Terms

Participate

Contribute
SupportDonate
Developers

SourceLibrary^Beta

Collections Gallery Browse Timeline Libraries Reading Room

Pages

三才圖會(三十三)

Sancai Tuhui (Vol. 33)

三才圖會(三十三)

王圻, 王思義

Chinese

1609

76 pages

Chinese Classics Art Illustrated East Asia

First Complete Translation

Only partial translations or excerpts exist. This is the first complete English translation.

The Sancai Tuhui is a massive 106-chapter Ming Dynasty encyclopedia. While specific entries and maps (particularly from Juan 33 regarding foreign geography) have been translated as excerpts in scholarly works by authors like Leo K. Shin, Richard J. Smith, and Timothy Brook, no complete English translation of the entire work or even of Juan 33 in its entirety was found in any major catalog. Any new publication of a full translation of this section would constitute a first complete translation.

Verified Mar 8, 2026 via local catalogs, open library, google books · methodology

Chinese Classics Art & Illustrated Books

About This Book

geographyhistory

Step into the kaleidoscopic Ming Dynasty worldview where historical geography meets high-fantasy myth. From the scholarly halls of the Ryukyu Kingdom to lands of one-armed people and monthly-ripening rice, Sancai Tuhui (三十三) maps the boundaries of the known and the imagined world.

Index

92 terms

See All →

Major Themes

Sancai Tuhui38p三才圖會34p應天府32pYingtian Prefecture30pMing Dynasty ethnography29pNanjing24pMing Dynasty geography18p人物16p

agriculturep. 28, p. 29, p. 73

ancient geographyp. 36, p. 75

Central Asiap. 4, p. 12, p. 15, p. 22, p. 27, p. 28, p. 53

cremationp. 39, p. 45, p. 76

Di Peoplep. 5, p. 58

ethnographic illustrationp. 16, p. 24, p. 34

Ethnographyp. 2, p. 22, p. 28, p. 51, p. 52, p. 66, p. 72

foreign landsp. 57, p. 70

frontier peoplesp. 13, p. 71

Gandharap. 4, p. 46

geographyp. 12, p. 65

Hamip. 5, p. 64

Heratp. 14, p. 22

horse travelp. 21, p. 25, p. 31

Indiap. 62, p. 66

Japanp. 2, p. 9

Javap. 51, p. 76

livestockp. 31, p. 69

Ma'atap. 6, p. 72

maritime tradep. 8, p. 52

Ming Dynastyp. 1, p. 2, p. 24, p. 27, p. 28, p. 39, p. 60, p. 66+1 more

Ming Dynasty diplomacyp. 22, p. 51

Ming Dynasty encyclopediap. 1, p. 38, p. 46, p. 54, p. 58

Ming Dynasty tradep. 50, p. 62, p. 65

Ming ethnographyp. 17, p. 37

Mythical Geographyp. 5, p. 54, p. 58, p. 74

mythologyp. 68, p. 74

Northern Frontierp. 16, p. 29

northern tribesp. 17, p. 75

Pamir Mountainsp. 4, p. 47

pastoralismp. 19, p. 55

piracyp. 9, p. 43

Samarkandp. 5, p. 53

Shanhaijingp. 58, p. 74

Silk Roadp. 4, p. 5, p. 27, p. 28, p. 48, p. 53, p. 64

Silk Road travelp. 15, p. 21

Southeast Asiap. 37, p. 76

Southwest Chinap. 38, p. 39

Tatarsp. 16, p. 18, p. 19, p. 22, p. 23, p. 24, p. 26, p. 29+3 more

Tibetp. 5, p. 61

Showing 40 of 84 entries.

Illustrations63

Woodcut illustration of a man with a spotted headpiece riding a horse and carrying a child.

woodcut

Woodcut illustration of a hairy humanoid figure wearing a leaf skirt, representing a 'Wild Person' from a mythical land.

woodcut

Woodcut illustration of a man in traditional attire holding a fan, accompanied by Chinese text.

woodcut

Woodcut illustration of a mythical figure with an eye on the back of their head.

woodcut

Woodcut portrait of a man in traditional foreign attire, featuring a fur-lined hat and a long, heavy cloak.

portrait

Woodcut illustration of a bearded man in traditional Chinese robes, likely a historical or mythological figure.

woodcut

Woodcut portrait of a man in traditional East Asian attire with vertical text.

portrait

Woodcut illustration of a man riding a horse-like animal, accompanied by Chinese text.

woodcut

Pages

Pages

Showing 24 of 76

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24