Within this reading group, we will be reading the late imperial Chinese/Sinographic household encyclopedia (riyong leishu 日用類書) together. We are broadly interested in the question of how common or popular knowledge was conceived and presented for use within these texts.  In particular, we are interested in what the sources of such common knowledge were, how it relates to and can be distinguished from elite knowledge, and how these kinds of knowledge were produced, circulated and consumed. The household encyclopedia is one major source of such common(er) knowledge, but we are also interested in how these texts relate to other texts that were consumed by similar demographics.  

Each session will feature an excerpt from one such encyclopaedia and include a short exposition on a theme, followed by a close reading of the excerpt and a discussion. 

Our group will consist of working group members and several invited members from outside the institute. Colleagues, who are interested in learning more about the household encyclopedia and similar sources, are very welcome to join us. 

Language: Please note that the reading group will be conducted in English, but the primary sources will be in Chinese. An English translation will usually be provided but much of the discussion may centre on translation and philological issues related to the texts. 

Session Dates:

There will be 3 sessions between October and December, 2023:
Session 1: Friday, October 6, 4 - 6 pm Central European Time
Session 2: Friday, November 24, 4 - 6pm Central European Time
Session 3: Friday, December 8, 4 - 6pm Central European Time

Our first session is on October 6, 4 - 6 pm Central European Time, in which Shih-Pei Chen will lead the reading on agricultural practices in the Complete Book of Myriad Treasures (wanbao quanshu 萬寶全書).