Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Examination and Enlightenment: Exploring the Scientific Value of Late Qing Encyclopedias

Sijin ZhuUniversity of Science and Technology of China Zhaojun DingUniversity of Science and Technology of China*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the imperial examination system added examination subjects related to western science, and scholars were required to study Western learning, which made the compilation and printing of encyclopedias at the end of the Qing Dynasty prosperous. After the abolition of the imperial examination system, the encyclopedia gradually declined due to the disappearance of the value of the examination, and some new intellectuals even gave a negative evaluation because of its close relationship with the imperial examination. Although the "shelf life" of encyclopaedia in the late Qing Dynasty was relatively short, it was a special form and way for scholars in the late Qing Dynasty to accept western learning while catering to the trend of imperial examinations. Its scientific value should not be overlooked.

Keywords: Imperial examination reform; encyclopedia; Scientific value
Published: December 18, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.30653
Volume: CHR Vol.99
pp. 124-131
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