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Woodblock Printed Books from the Qing Courtin the Nagasaki Trade:
A Case Study of Hakusai shomoku(List of Books Brought as Cargo)
ZHANG Hongwei*

The Japanese scholar Ōba Osamu is a pioneer in the data collection andresearch of books brought to Japan by Chinese vessels in ancient times. Since
1963, he has studied the importation of Chinese books in the Edo Period andcompiled a lot of relevant materials. His research leads to a series of uniqueand valuable research outputs and lays a solid foundation for future
researchers in this field. The books that he compiles – Edo jidai ni okeru Tōsen
Mochiwatarisho no kenkyū (Studies of the Books Transported [to Japan]
aboard Chinese Vessels in the Edo Period) and Hakusai shomoku: tsuketarikaidai Kunaichō Shoryōbu-zō (List of Books Brought as Cargo Held in theArchives and Mausolea Department of the Imperial Household Agency) areboth excellent casebooks. However, woodblock printed books from the Qing
court have drawn nobody’s attention except Ōba Osamu, who has discussed
Da qing hui dian (Collected Statutes of the Great Qing Dynasty) and Gu jintu shu ji cheng (the Imperial Encyclopedia) in his book Edo jidai ni okeru
Chūgoku bunka juyō no kenkyū (Studies of the Reception of Chinese Culturein the Edo Period). Therefore, more in-depth studies on woodblock printed
books from the Qing court are in need.

1. Books in the Nagasaki Trade

In the Edo Period (1603–1867), from 1633 to 1641, through a series ofdecrees, the Tokugawa shogunate instated bans on several things: the crossborder travelling by Japanese vessels and people, the introduction of
Catholicism into Japan, trades with Catholic countries such as Portugal andSpain, and the entry of Catholic books. It particularly set a rule that all
foreign traders landing in Nagasaki must go through the process of “painting	  * ZHANG Hongwei 章宏伟 is director and professor of Library Science, Institute ofGugong Studies, The Palace Museum.

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trampling” (tahui, i.e. trampling on copper plates painted with the image of
Virgin Mary) to prove that they were not Catholics. Except for a few
controlled trades with China and the Netherlands in Nagasaki and exchanges
with Korea and the Ryukyu Kingdom through Tsushima Fuchū-han andSatsuma-han, the shogunate nearly cut off all foreign trades and exchanges,
and built an increasingly closed system, a system of Sakoku (closed country).
In the academic field of history, the term “Nagasaki Trade” is generally used
to refer to foreign trades taking place in Nagasaki in the Edo Period.
China’s central international exchange in the early age of the Qing dynasty
was non-governmental overseas trades led by private merchant vessels. After
the Qing government had lifted the maritime embargo, the number ofmerchant vessels travelling to Japan increased rapidly and in 1688, up to 193
vessels had travelled to Japan (the 27th year of Kangxi, the 1st year of
Genroku). The Tokugawa shogunate then immediately implemented trade
restrictions to control the number of Chinese merchant vessels entering theNagasaki port, the value of trade, the goods and the merchants’ activities
every year. In 1715 (the 54th year of Kangxi, the 5th year of Shōtoku), theTokugawa shogunate enacted Shōtoku shinrei (Shōtoku New Law), and issued
licenses, known as shinpai, to authorize holders to trade legally at the port.
Every year, the number of Chinese merchant vessels allowed to enter the portof Nagasaki was only 30, and the maximum value of trading merchandise
allowed was 6000 kan (roughly 22, 5000 kilograms, which mainly refers to
the trading amount of copper).
Chinese vessels, which were called Tōsen by Japanese at that time, often
brought Chinese books for sale when sailing to Japan. Transportation through
Chinese vessels had become the primary way of importation for Chinese
books. Japanese called these books “books transported [to Japan] aboard
Chinese vessels.” The Tokugawa shogunate established the position of
Shomotsu mekiki (Inspectorate of Books) below the position of Bugyō(Governor) in Nagasaki and appointed officials who were experts of Chinese
books to these positions to take over the inspection of imported Chinese
books. These officials had left a large number of rosters of imported Chinese
books (i.e. Shoseki motochō, Register of Book Prices) which reported in detailthe year of registration, the serial number of Chinese vessels, the names ofvessel owners and the names, volumes, sets and prices of imported Chinese
books. Sometimes details about book buyers as well as outlines of books (i.e.
Taiisho) were also noted down. These rosters have provided valuable original
data for the study of the history of Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges. Ōba
Osamu’s book – Edo jidai ni okeru Tōsen Mochiwatarisho no kenkyū (Studiesof the Books Transported [to Japan] aboard Chinese Vessels in the Edo
Period) – has reported that around 8000 Chinese books were imported into

Woodblock Printed Books from the Qing Court in the Nagasaki Trade

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Japan in the 180 years between the 17th century and Meiji Ishin (the Meiji
Restoration), showing a significant influence of Chinese books on Japaneseculture and thinking through a large number of imports and a fast speed of
distribution.

2. The record of woodblock printed books from the Qing Court in
Hakusai shomoku (List of Books Brought as Cargo)

According to the existing data, we find that many woodblock printed books
from the Qing court were sold to Japan soon after they were published. Herewe will just discuss what is reported in Hakusai shomoku (List of Books
Brought as Cargo) held in the Archives and Mausolea Department of theImperial Household Agency. Originally, we would also like to discuss relevant data in the book Edo jidai ni okeru Tōsen Mochiwatarisho no kenkyū(Studies of the Books Transported [to Japan] aboard Chinese Vessels in the
Edo Period) which describes a lot of woodblock printed books from the Qing
court imported to Japan. These books include a set of four-color copies of Yu
Xuan Tang Song Shi Chun (Tang Song Poetry Anthologies Selected by theEmperor Qianlong) arranged into 47 volumes of main collection and 2
volumes of table of contents, edited by Zhang Qing and Liang Shizheng in
the Qing dynasty and printed by Wuyingdian (Hall of Martial Valor) in the
16th year of Qianlong of the Qing dynasty1. However, if we are going todiscuss these printed books, we need to examine them carefully one by one
for several reasons. First, it is impossible to identify whether a book copy
was printed by the Qing court itself simply out of intuition or impression.
Second, even if there was a woodblock printed copy of the book by the Qing
court, it does not follow that what was imported to Japan happened to be thiscopy. We have to check and see whether the sailing date was earlier than thedate that the woodblock copy was printed in the Qing court. Third, it is hard
to tell whether it is the most likely copy printed by the Qing court among
several copies of the same book. Considering that the data is big and complicated, and the examination of books mentioned in Edo jidai ni okeru Tōsen
Mochiwatarisho no kenkyū (Studies of the Books Transported [to Japan]
aboard Chinese Vessels in the Edo Period) will take more time, the present
study will focus on the data from “Hakusai shomoku” (List of Books Brought
as Cargo).
Hakusai shomoku (List of Books Brought as Cargo) has recorded 32 kinds
1 Ōba, Osamu 大庭脩 (Ed.). Edo jidai ni okeru Tōsen Mochiwatarisho no kenkyū 江戸
時代における唐船持渡書の研究(Studies of the Books Transported [to Japan] aboard
Chinese Vessels in the Edo Period). Suita: Institute of Oriental and Occidental
Studies, Kansai University, 1967: 587B, 717C.

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and 8675 volumes of woodblock printed books from the Qing court transported to Japan: one kind, 102 volumes in the Genroku era (1688–1703); 7
kinds, 1685 volumes in the Hōei era (1704–1710); 7 kinds, 911 volumes in
the Shōtoku era (1711–1715); 19 kinds, 1961 volumes in the Kyōhō era(1716–1735); 4 kinds, 723 volumes in the Genbun era (1736–1740); 2 kinds,
954 volumes in the Kanpō era (1741–1743); and 8 kinds, 2339 volumes in
the Kan’en era (1748–1751)2.
Woodblock printed books from the Qing court listed in Hakusai shomoku(List of Books Brought as Cargo) are as follows.
Five kinds of Jing (经 Classics): 44 volumes of Qin ding zhuan wen liu
jing (Imperially Commissioned Compilation of the Six Classics in Seal
Script) edited by Li Guangdi et al. in the Qing dynasty and printed by theImperial Secretariat from the Kangxi Reign of the Qing dynasty, 8 volumesof Gu xiang zhai jian shang xiu zhen wu jing (The Guxiang Studio’s Pocketsize Collection of the Five Classics) printed by the Imperial Secretariat fromthe Kangxi Reign, 26 volumes of Ri jiang si shu jie yi (Daily Lecture on the
Four Books) written by La Shali and Chen Tingjing et al. in the Qing
dynasty and printed by the Imperial Secretariat from the Kangxi Reign in the
16th year of Kangxi, Yu zhi xing li si shu da quan (Imperially Commissioned
Great Collection of Works on Nature and Principle and Four Books),
including 70 volumes of Xing li da quan shu (Great Compendia of Nature andPrinciple) and 18 volumes of Yu zhi si shu da quan (Imperially Commissioned
Great Collection of Four Books) edited by Hu Guang et al. in the Ming
dynasty, first printed by the Imperial Secretariat in the 13th year of Yongle ofthe Ming dynasty and revised in the 12th year of Kangxi, and 42 volumes ofKang xi zi dian (Kangxi Dictionary) compiled by Zhang Yushu et al. on theEmperor Kangxi’s order and printed by the Imperial Secretariat in the 50th
year of Kangxi.
8 kinds of Shi (史 Histories): Ming shi (The History of Ming) arranged
into 332 volumes of main collection and 2 volumes of table of contents as apart of Er shi si shi (Twenty-four Histories of China) written by Zhang Tingyu
et al. in the Qing dynasty, and printed by Wuyingdian (Hall of Martial Valor)
in the 4th year of Qianlong, 109 volumes of Yu pi zi zhi tong jian gang mu(Imperially Commissioned Outlines and Details of the Comprehensive Mirrorin Aid of Governance) edited by Song Luo et al. in the Qing dynasty andprinted by Yangzhou shiju (Yangzhou Poetry Office) from the 46th year to the2 Ōba, Osamu 大庭脩 (Ed.). Hakusai shomoku : tsuketari kaidai Kunaichō Shoryōbu-zō
宮内廰書陵部藏舶載書目(List of Books Brought as Cargo Held in the Archives and
Mausolea Department of the Imperial Household Agency). Suita: Institute ofOriental and Occidental Studies, Kansai University, 1972.

Woodblock Printed Books from the Qing Court in the Nagasaki Trade63

49th year of Kangxi, 348 volumes of Wen xian tong kao (Comprehensive
Examination of Literature) written by Ma Duanlin in the Yuan dynasty, firstprinted by Silijian (Directorate of Ceremonial) in the 3rd year of Jiajing of the
Ming dynasty and revised by the Imperial Secretariat in the 12th year of
Kangxi, 162 volumes of Da qing hui dian (Collected Statutes of the Great
Qing Dynasty) compiled by Yi Sang’a and Wang Xi et al. in the Qing
dynasty and printed by the Imperial Secretariat in the 29th year of Kangxi,
120 volumes of Wan shou sheng dian chu ji (Magnificent Record of Long
Life, First Collection) compiled by Wang Yuanqi and Wang Yiqing et al. in
the Qing dynasty and printed by the Imperial Secretariat from the 54th to the56th year of Kangxi, 30 volumes of Da qing lv (The Code of the Great Qing)
with appendices of zeli (precedent) and xinli (new regulation) compiled by the
Ministry of Justice in the Qing dynasty, printed in the 4th year of Shunzhi of
the Qing dynasty and reprinted in the 3rd year of Kangxi, 31 volumes of Da
qing lv ji jie fu li ( The Code of Great Qing with Collected Commentaries andAppended Sub-laws) printed by the Imperial Secretariat in the 4th year of
Shunzhi, and Shang yu (Imperial Edicts).
12 kinds of Zi (子 Masters): 70 volumes of Xing li da quan (Collectionof Nature and Principle) edited by Hu Guang et al. in the Ming dynasty, firstprinted by the Imperial Secretariat in the 13th year of Yongle and revised in
the 12th year of Kangxi, the first two volumes of the 100 volumes of Xiaojing yan yi (Extended Explication of the Classic of Filial Piety) written by Ye
Fang’ai et al. in the Qing dynasty and printed in the 29th year of Kangxi, 66
volumes of Yuan jian zhai yu zuan zhu zi quan shu (The Yuanjian Studio’s
Imperially Commissioned Complete Works of Master Zhu) compiled by Li
Guangdi et al. in the Qing dynasty and printed by the Imperial Secretariat in
the 53rd year of Kangxi (the book had two editions, one is heikouben whosetrunk is printed with black lines, the other is baikouben whose trunk is notprinted with black lines, but it is not indicated which edition was imported toJapan), 2 volumes of Yu zhi geng zhi tu (Imperially Commissioned Illustrationsof Agriculture and Sericulture) including poems written by the Emperor
Kangxi, edited by Song Loushou, painted by Jiao Bingzhen et al. andengraved by Zhu Gui et al. in the Qing dynasty, and printed by the Imperial
Secretariat in the 35th year of Kangxi, a volume of Ge yuan gou gu ba xianbiao (Tables of Cyclotomic Methods and Trigonometric Functions) written by
the Italian Giacomo Rho, printed in Chongzhen era of the Ming dynasty, andenlarged by astronomy officers in the 2nd year of Shunzhi, the 13th year and17th year of Kangxi, Da qing yong zheng san nian shi xian li (The Temporal
Model Calendar of the 3rd year of Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty), Yongzheng shi nian li (The Calendar of the 10th year of Yongzheng of the Qing
Dynasty), 100 volumes of Pei wen zhai shu hua pu (The Peiwen Studio’s

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Collection of Calligraphy and Painting) edited by Sun Yueban et al. in the
Qing dynasty and printed by the Imperial Secretariat in the 47th year of
Kangxi, Pei wen zhai guang qun fang pu (The Peiwen Studio’s Collection of
All Fragrances) arranged into 100 volumes of main collection and 2 volumesof table of contents, edited by Wang Hao et al. in the Qing dynasty andprinted by the Imperial Secretariat in the 47th year of Kangxi, Yuan jian lei
han (The Encyclopedia of China) arranged into 450 volumes of main collection and 4 volumes of table of contents, edited by Zhang Ying et al. in the
Qing dynasty and printed by the Imperial Secretariat in the 49th year of
Kangxi, 106 volumes of Pei wen yun fu (Rhyming Compendium of Refined
Literature) edited by Zhang Yushu, Cai Shengyuan et al. in the Qing dynasty
and printed by Yangzhou shiju (Yangzhou Poetry Office) in the 50th year of
Kangxi, 110 volumes ( 20 sets of 160 copies as is recorded in
Hakusai shomoku) of Qin ding gu jin tu shu ji cheng tu (The Imperial
Commissioned Illustrations from the Complete Collection of Illustrations andWritings from the Earliest to Current Times) which is the collection of illustrations of the book Gu jin tu shu ji cheng (The Complete Collection of
Illustrations and Writings from the Earliest to Current Times) and was printed
as an independent book and engraved by the Imperial Secretariat in the 4thyear of Yongzheng.
7 kinds of Ji (集 Collections): a set of four-color copies of 64 volumes of
Gu wen yuan jian (Profound Mirror of Ancient-style Prose) selected by theEmperor Kangxi, edited and annotated by Xu Qianxue et al., and printed by
the Imperial Secretariat in the 24th year of Kangxi, Yu ding li dai fu hui(Imperially Commissioned Compendium of Fu Through the Ages) arranged
into 140 volumes of zhengji (main collection), 20 volumes of waiji (extra
collection), 2 volumes of fragments, 22 volumes of collection of supplementary pieces, and 3 volumes of table of contents, edited by Chen Yuanlong etal., commissioned by the Emperor Kangxi, and printed by Chen Yuanlong inchengben (copy submitted to the emperor) in the 45th year of Kangxi, 486
volumes of Pei wen zhai yong wu shi xuan (The Peiwen Studio’s Collectionof Poems on Things) edited by Zhang Yushu et al. in the Qing dynasty,
commissioned by the Emperor Kangxi and printed by Gao Yuxiao inchengben (copy submitted to the emperor) in the 46th year of Kangxi, 100
volumes of Yu ding quan tang shi lu (Imperially Commissioned Complete
Tang Poems Collection) edited by Xu Zhuo and Xu Yuanzheng in the Qing
dynasty and printed by Xu Zhuo in chengben (copy submitted to the emperor)in the 45th year of Kangxi, Quan tang shi (Complete Tang Poems) arranged
into 900 volumes of main collection and 12 volumes of table of contents,
edited by Cao Yin, Peng Dingqiu et al. and printed by Yangzhou shiju(Yangzhou Poetry Office) in the 46th year of Kangxi, Le shan tang quan ji

Woodblock Printed Books from the Qing Court in the Nagasaki Trade

65(The Complete Works from the Leshan Hall) arranged into 40 volumes ofmain collection and 4 volumes of table of contents, written by the Emperor
Qianlong and printed by Wuyingdian (Hall of Martial Valor) in the 2nd year of
Qianlong, and 120 volumes of Yu xuan li dai shi yu (Compendium of Ci
Through the Ages Selected by the Emperor Kangxi) edited by Shen
Chenyuan, Wang Yiqing et al. and printed by the Imperial Secretariat in the
46th year of Kangxi.
Although there are not many kinds of woodblock printed books from the
Qing court transported to Japan, they are all tomes of classics. Some of them
are works of over 100 volumes. For instance, 912 volumes of Quan tang shi(Complete Tang Poems), 486 volumes of Pei wen zhai yong wu shi xuan (ThePeiwen Studio’s Collection of Poems on Things), 454 volumes of Yuan jianlei han (The Encyclopedia of China), 348 volumes of Wen xian tong kao(Comprehensive Examination of Literature), 336 volumes of Ming shi (TheHistory of Ming), 187 volumes of Yu ding li dai fu hui (Imperially
Commissioned Compendium of Fu Through the Ages), 162 volumes of Da
qing hui dian (Collected Statutes of the Great Qing Dynasty), 120 volumes of
Wan shou sheng dian chu ji (Magnificent Record of Long Life, First
Collection), 120 volumes of Yu xuan li dai shi yu (Compendium of Ci Throughthe Ages Selected by the Emperor Kangxi), 109 volumes of Yu pi zi zhi tong
jian gang mu (Imperially Commissioned Outlines and Details of theComprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance), 106 volumes Pei wen yun fu(Rhyming Compendium of Refined Literature), 102 volumes of Xiao jing yanyi (Extended Explication of the Classic of Filial Piety), 102 volumes of Pei
wen zhai guang qun fang pu (The Peiwen Studio’s Collection of All
Fragrances), 100 volumes of Yu ding quan tang shi lu (Imperially
Commissioned Complete Tang Poems Collection), and 100 volumes of Pei
wen zhai shu hua pu (The Peiwen Studio’s Collection of Calligraphy andPainting).
The books from the Qing court were brought to Japan soon after they had
been printed. For instance, Yu ding quan tang shi lu (Imperially Commissioned
Complete Tang Poems Collection), edited by Xu Zhuo and Xu Yuanzheng in
the Qing dynasty, was printed by Xu Zhuo in the 45th year of Kangxi, and 4
copies of this book were imported to Japan respectively in the 6th year of
Hōei (the 48th year of Kangxi, 1709), the 8th year of Kyōhō (the 1st year of
Yongzheng, 1723), the 9th year of Kyōhō (the 2nd year of Yongzheng, 1724).
Yu ding li dai fu hui (Imperially Commissioned Compendium of Fu Throughthe Ages), arranged into 140 volumes of zhengji (main collection), 20
volumes of waiji (extra collection), 2 volumes of fragments, 22 volumes ofcollection of supplementary pieces, and 3 volumes of table of contents, wasprinted by Chen Yuanlong in the 45th year of Kangxi, and 2 copies of this66

Journal of Cultural Interaction in East Asia Vol. 9 2018

book were imported to Japan in 6th year of Hōei (the 48th year of Kangxi,
1709). Yuan jian zhai yu zuan zhu zi quan shu (The Yuanjian Studio’s
Imperially Commissioned Complete Works of Master Zhu), arranged into 66
volumes, was printed by the Imperial Secretariat in the 53rd year of Kangxi,
and two copies of the book were imported to Japan respectively in the 4thyear of Kyōhō (the 58th year of Kangxi, 1719) and the 9th year of Kyōhō (the2nd year of Yongzheng, 1724). Le shan tang quan ji (The Complete Worksfrom the Leshan Hall), arranged into 40 volumes of main collection and 2
volumes of table of contents, was printed by Wuyingdian (Hall of Martial
Valor) in the 2nd year of Qianlong, and 3 copies of the books were imported
to Japan respectively in the 4th year of Genbun (the 4th year of Qianlong,1739) and the 1st year of Kanpō (the 6th year of Qianlong, 1741). Maybe theimportation of these books was requested by the Japanese government, ormaybe the vessel owners gradually understood the needs of the shogunate
during trades and intentionally brought these books. The record from Kaiki inJuly 7th, the 10th year of Kyōhō shows, “After recent years of purchase, now
we have two sets of Shi wu sheng tong zhi (Gazetteer of Fifteen Provinces) inJapan. These books should be collected. It is hoped that the book list can help
to build the collection of these books by the sequence of orders the shogunate
had sent to Nagasaki.”3 Ōba Osamu discusses one of the influences of Shōtoku
shinrei (Shōtoku New Law) on the trade with Chinese vessels as follows: “To
obtain extra quota of specially-issued temporary shinpai, owners of Chinese
vessels tried their best to meet the particular demands of the shogunate, thatis, the demands for yuyongwu (emperor’s things) or the demands for special
knowledge. As a result, many experts and special goods were transported toJapan from the 4th or 5th year of Kyōhō to the 11th or 12th year of Kyōhō.
These experts were doctors, Confucian scholars, horse-riding and archerytalents, and horse veterinarians. The goods included large numbers ofbooks.”4 It is possible that the books were imported soon after they had been
printed due to the request of the Japanese government at that time. Althoughspecific names of the books might not be indicated, at least the category andcontent of the books were described, for instance, books on the topic ofpolitical system printed by the Qing court in particular.
Some books were imported for several times. For instance, Yu pi zi zhi
3 Ōba, Osamu 大庭脩 (Ed.). Hakusai shomoku : tsuketari kaidai Kunaichō Shoryōbu-zō
宮内廰書陵部藏舶載書目(List of Books Brought as Cargo Held in the Archives and
Mausolea Department of the Imperial Household Agency). Suita: Institute ofOriental and Occidental Studies, Kansai University, 1972: 47.
4 Ōba, Osamu 大庭脩. Edo jindai ni okeru Chūgoku bunka juyō no kenkyū 江戸時代における中国文化受容の研究 (Studies of the Reception of Chinese Culture in the Edo
Period [Japan]). Kyoto: Dōbōsha, 1984, 1986 (2nd edition): 439.

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67

tong jian gang mu (Imperially Commissioned Outlines and Details of theComprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance) was a popular book of history
in Japan. Nine copies of this book in total were imported respectively in the
7th year of Hōei (the 49th year of Kangxi, 1710), the 2nd year of Shōtoku (the51th year of Kangxi, 1712), the 4th year of Shōtoku (the 53rd year of Kangxi,
1714), the 11th year of Kyōhō (the 4th year of Yongzheng, 1726), the 5th yearof Genbun (the 5th year of Qianlong, 1740), the 1st year of Kanpō (the 6thyear of Qianlong, 1741) and the 4th year of Kan’en (the 16th year of
Qianlong, 1751), 2 copies among which were imported in the same year of
the 1st year of Kanpō (the 6th year of Qianlong, 1741). 11 copies of Kang xi
zi dian (Kangxi Dictionary) in total were imported to Japan after they had
been printed by the Imperial Secretariat in the 50th year of Kangxi. They were
imported respectively in the 9th year of Kyōhō (the 2nd year of Yongzheng,1724), the 10th year of Kyōhō (the 3rd year of Yongzheng, 1725), the 2nd yearof Genbun (the 2nd year of Qianlong, 1737), the 4th year of Genbun (the 4thyear of Qianlong, 1739), the 1st year of Kanpō (the 6th year of Qianlong,1741), the 2nd year of Kanpō (the 7th year of Qianlong, 1742), and the 4th yearof Kan’en (the 16th year of Qianlong, 1751).
The Tokugawa shogunate is the biggest buyer of books imported to Japan,
and it sometimes ordered books. Ōba Osamu points out, “In general, thesetransported books aboard Chinese vessels were selected by the owners of thevessels and then brought to Japan, but there are exceptions of books orderedby the Japanese government. Tokugawa Yoshimune, for instance, orderedbooks for several times. These books transported on the government leaders’
order are the so-called yuyongwu (emperor’s things) and their prices are muchhigher than the prices of books of the general category.”5 Take Da qing hui
dian (Collected Statutes of the Great Qing Dynasty) for example. The chapter-- Shu ji ba cai fang (Eight: Interview) in the 58th volume and 59th volume of
Hao shu gu shi (Stories of Favorite Books) mentions an order of books fromthe Secretary of Books in Nagasaki, “As is mentioned by other previous
letters, books such as Ding li cheng an (Regulations and Leading Cases), Da
qing hui dian (Collected Statutes of the Great Qing Dynasty) and so on arewhat the General likes. The General will pay deposit as well as the price ofthe books. His Excellency, Warden of Tōtōmi no kuni (a state of Japan) Kanō
asked me to deliver this message. Please fulfil this mission as is expected.
However, if the books are brought by the Chinese merchants themselves, wewill pay the normal book price even when they are bought by the General.
5 Ōba, Osamu 大庭脩. Edo jindai ni okeru Chūgoku bunka juyō no kenkyū 江戸時代における中国文化受容の研究 (Studies of the Reception of Chinese Culture in the Edo
Period [Japan]). Kyoto: Dōbōsha, 1984, 1986 (2nd edition): 210.

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Valuable books such as Da qing hui dian (Collected Statutes of the Great Qing
Dynasty) are the most important, and His Excellency, Warden of Tōtōmi no
kuni (a state of Japan) Kanō particularly asked me to notify the Chinesemerchants to bring more books of this kind.” It is also pointed out that 162
volumes of Da qing hui dian (Collected Statutes of the Great Qing Dynasty)
were transported by Chinese vessels in the autumn of the 4th year of Kyōhō(the 58th year of Kangxi, 1719)6. Ōba Osamu once organized a symposium
discussing “Fukami Kudayū’s translation of Da qing hui dian.”7 According to
Hakusai shomoku (List of Books Brought as Cargo), after the 4th year of
Kyōhō (vol.11, p.34), copies of Da qing hui dian (Collected Statutes of theGreat Qing Dynasty) were also imported to Japan in the 9th year of Kyōhō(the 2nd year of Yongzheng, 1724) (vol.14, p.89), the 10th year of Kyōhō (the
3rd year of Yongzheng, 1725) (vol.15, p.3), and the 11th year of Kyōhō (the 4thyear of Yongzheng, 1726) (vol.16, p.22)8. The book Da qing hui dian(Collected Statutes of the Great Qing Dynasty) has explained the system ofregulations as well as the structure of each administrative institution of thecentral and local governments. Through reading this book, the Japanese could
get to know the political system of its neighbor, and reflect on its own political system. And that is why the General valued this book. The Edo Period isa period when both martial and literary talents were appreciated and cultivated. During this period, social stability and economic prosperity had beenrealized, and literary education was highly valued. Therefore, there weregreat demands of Chinese books. The book base of the shogunate was a mainbuyer of books imported to Japan aboard Chinese vessels. officials such as
Shomotsu bugyō (Governor of Books), Shomotsu aratame-yaku (Censor ofBooks), and Shomotsu mekiki (Inspectorate of Books) etc., were all responsible for selecting and buying books for the shogunate. Tokugawa Yoshimune
put much emphasis on Chinese books and a lot of Chinese books transported
to Nagasaki were selected and stored in the book base. According to Yūtoku
in jikki (Records of Shōgun Yoshimune), Tokugawa Yoshimune “often gathered Osoba (attendant), Koshō (pageboy), and Shō-nagon (attendant officer)
and asked them to search for books. He first ordered them to search for
6 Ōba, Osamu 大庭脩. Edo jindai ni okeru Chūgoku bunka juyō no kenkyū 江戸時代における中国文化受容の研究 (Studies of the Reception of Chinese Culture in the Edo
Period [Japan]). Kyoto: Dōbōsha, 1984, 1986 (2nd edition): 230.
7 Ōba, Osamu 大庭脩. Edo jindai ni okeru Chūgoku bunka juyō no kenkyū 江戸時代における中国文化受容の研究 (Studies of the Reception of Chinese Culture in the Edo
Period [Japan]). Kyoto: Dōbōsha, 1984, 1986 (2nd edition): 233.
8 Numeral notes, such as vol.25, p.17, are cited in this article to indicate the numberof volume and page of the copy book of Hakusai shomoku: tsuketari kaidai
Kunaichō Shoryōbu-zō.

Woodblock Printed Books from the Qing Court in the Nagasaki Trade

69

Japanese ancient classics. And he believed that the books brought by Chinesemerchants were of various kinds, so he asked for a book list for preview andthen selected useful books from the list. But he did not particularly look forbooks of poems or essays; instead, he collected useful books on the topic ofnation-governing, for instance, gazetteers of administrative districts, states andcounties. Gradually, the book base doubled its collection of books.”9 Wen xian
tong kao (Comprehensive Examination of Literature) written by Ma Duanlinin the Yuan dynasty has been listed in the same category as Da qing hui dian(Collected Statutes of the Great Qing Dynasty). Da qing hui dian (Collected
Statutes of the Great Qing Dynasty) records systems of regulations from theremote ages of China to the final years of Southern Song dynasty. It has
generalized all the systems and analyzed the causes of rises and falls of allages, which explains why the Japanese needed this book urgently at thattime.

3. Chinese vessels that transported printed books from the Qing court
to Japan

Trading details regarding cargo transported by the Chinese merchant vessels
found in relevant history books – Tōban kamotsu chō (Register of Chinese andBarbarian Cargo), Sairai shomoku (List of Books Brought to Japan), Taiisho(Outlines), Shōhaku sairai shomoku (List of Books Transported by Chinese
Merchant Vessels), and Hakusai shomoku (List of Books Brought as Cargo) –show that the trading goods were mostly silk, textiles and medical ingredients
while books were only a small part in the Sino-Japan trade. In his work Zōho
kai tsūshō kō (A Study of Commerce between the Barbarians and the
Civilized, Expanded), Nishikawa Joken gives a brief summary of the SinoJapan trade at that time. The book records departure sites of the Chinesemerchant vessels, together with the name list of all Chinese merchants from15 provinces sailing to Nagasaki. It also lists local special products fromdifferent provinces of China. For instance, Yingtianfu (modern Nanjing area,
capital of Ming Dynasty in the early stage) is labelled as the place producing
books10. As is recorded in Tōban kamotsu chō (Register of Chinese andBarbarian Cargo), between the 6th year of Hōei (1709) and the 3rd year of
Shōtoku (1713), only 14 Chinese vessels carried books with them, which
9 Ba, Zhaoxiang. Zhong guo di fang zhi liu bo ri ben yan jiu 中国地方志流播日本研究(Japanese Studies of the Distribution of Gazetteers of Chinese Administrative
Districts). Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House, 2008: 6.
10 Nishikawa, Joken 西川如見. Zōho kai tsūshō kō (A Study of Commerce between the
Barbarians and the Civilized, Expanded). In Nishikawa Tadaaki (Ed.), Nishikawa
Joken isho 西川如見遺書 (The Last Will of Nishikawa Joken) (4th edition). Tōkyō:
Kyūrindō, 1899: 4.

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were Nanjing ships and Ningbo ships, and the number of books in each
vessel varied between 1 to 93 boxes. Ōba Osamu comments, “Not all
Chinese vessels were loaded with books. Those vessels carrying books withthem were mainly Nanjing ships and Ningbo ships. Nanjing ships refer toships sailing from the regions of Zhenjiang, Huai’an, Changzhou, Yangzhou,
Suzhou, Shanghai and Songjiang. Ningbo ships refer to ships sailing from
Zhapu of Zhejiang province. In a word, they were all ships from Jiangsu andZhejiang provinces, i.e. kouchuan. In the early stage of the Edo Period, forinstance, the 1st year of Shōtoku (1711), only 5 out of 54 vessels entering theport were loaded with books, and 3 of them were Ningbo ships, 2 wereNanjing ships. As to the number of books, the 3 Ningbo ships carried around4 boxes, and the two Nanjing ships carried 41 boxes. The number of books in
Nanjing ships was ten times of that in Ningbo ships.” Ōba Osamu further
infers that such a case is related to the location of the publishing center in
China. He continues to comment, “Kouchuan were loaded with books because
the departure sites were located in the regions of Jiangsu and Zhejiang where
the publishing industry was the most developed. In other words, books were
the special product of Jiangzhe District (Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces)11.
Ōba Osamu also adds, “Merchant vessels transporting books were mostly
Nanjing ships and Ningbo ships. But there were two exceptions – a
Guangdong ship, the 20th ship arriving at the Nagasaki port in the 20th year of
Kyōhō, and a Xiamen ship, the 8th ship arriving at the Nagasaki port in the 4thyear of An’ei. As is mentioned, before the 1st year of Genroku, most vessels
sailing to Japan were Fujian ships including Fuzou ships. But when it cameto the era of Shōtoku, more Chinese vessels from Jiangzhe District travelled
to Japan. We cannot jump to the conclusion that since Yingtianfu was theplace where books were published, Nanjing ships and Fuzhou ships mustcarry books with them. But it is confusing that while Nanjing ships brought a
lot of books, Fuzhou ships had never brought any books.”12 In contrast, Fan
Jinmin points out that Ōba Osamu’s saying – “Fuzhou ships had neverbrought any books” – was at odds with the history13. Zhou Zhenhe gathers
11 Ōba, Osamu 大庭脩. Guan yu zhong guo shu ji chuan ru ri ben de yan jiu (Study on
Chinese Books Transported to Japan). In Department of History, Peking University(Ed.), Beida shixue 北大史学 (Study of History, Peking University). Beijing: Peking
University Press, Vol.2, 1994: 98.
12 Ōba, Osamu 大庭脩. Edo jindai ni okeru Chūgoku bunka juyō no kenkyū 江戸時代における中国文化受容の研究 (Studies of the Reception of Chinese Culture in the Edo
Period [Japan]). Kyoto: Dōbōsha, 1984, 1986 (2nd edition): 44–45.
13 Fan, Jinmin. Piao nang xiang zhi: qing dai qian qi jiang nan shu ji de ri ben xiao
chang 缥囊缃帙：清代前期江南书籍的日本销场 (Book Rolls: Place of Sale in Japan for
Jiangnan Books in the Early Stage of the Qing Dynasty), Historical Review. Vol.1,
2010.

Woodblock Printed Books from the Qing Court in the Nagasaki Trade71

detailed statistics about the departure sites of those Chinese vessels transporting books to Japan based on Nagazumi Yoko’s work Tōsen
yushutsunyūhin sūryō ichiran, 1637– 1833 nen (The Volume of Exports andImports on Chinese Ships, 1637–1833) and summarizes the statistics in threetables – “Table of Chinese Vessels Travelling to Japan and Transported Books
in the Early Stage of the Qing Dynasty Based on Dutch Files,” “Table ofChinese Vessels Travelling to Japan and Transported Books in the Mid andLate Stages of the Qing Dynasty Based on Dutch Files,” “Table of Chinese
Vessels’ Trips to Japan and Transported Books.” He has pointed out that the
departure sites of Chinese vessels transporting books were mainly in Fujian
before 1682, and were changed to Zhapu after 172414. This is the truth about
the Sino-Japan book trade.

4. The distribution of woodblock printed books from the Qing court

How can woodblock printed books from the Qing court be transported soquickly to Japan? To answer this question, we need to discuss how thesebooks were collected and bought by Chinese vessel owners. If the books were
hidden from common people, today we would not be able to discuss theseimported books. An open environment is a must for the importation of
printed books from the Qing court. The Qing government prohibited theexportation of rice, iron, ironware, weapons, etc. from China15, but it adopted
an open approach to the exportation of books. In the middle of 17th to 19th
century, i.e. the Edo Period, a large number of Chinese books were transported to Japan16. Many factors have contributed to such a transportation ofChinese books, for instance, potential profits for merchants, the governmental
ruling aided by literatures and humanities, the adequate supply of books, thegovernment’s permission on the distribution of books among civilians. At
least, within the context of the Qing dynasty, the Qing government actively
promoted the distribution of printed books from the court.
14 Zhou, Zhenhe. Qing dai shu wang ri ben han ji de chu bu yan jiu (Preliminary Studyof Chinese Books Transported to Japan in the Qing Dynasty). Newsletter forInternational China Studies by International Academy of Chinese Studies. Beijing:
Peking University Press, Vol.3, 2011.
15 Guo, Yunjing. Qing dai shang ye shi 清代商业史 (The History of Business in the Qing
Dynasty). Shenyang: Liaoning People’s Publishing House, 1994: 342–349.
16 According to Shōhaku sairai shomoku (List of Books Transported by Chinese
Merchant Vessels) edited by Mukai Tomi, 43 Chinese merchant vessels sailed to the
Nagasaki port and brought 4781 kinds of Chinese books in the 111 years between
1693 and 1803. Ōba Osamu claims that 6118 kinds and 57240 volumes of Chinese
books were imported to Japan through Nagasaki between 1714 and 1855, and Fan
Jinmin believes that the numbers Ōba Osamu gives are conservative estimates, andthe number of books transported could be more than doubled.

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Journal of Cultural Interaction in East Asia Vol. 9 2018

The early era of the Qing dynasty witnessed a culture boom and the
popularity of printed books from the Qing court. So far, not a single study
has explored deeply the uses of these books. The information we have, generally given as examples, is that some of them were printed exclusively for theemperors’ reading, some were for the display in the palaces, some were
bestowed to princes, governmental officials and foreign nations, and somewere awarded to provincial governments, academies, and temples. For
instance, the Emperor Qianlong called for the offering of collections of books
from civilians for his project – the compilation of Si ku quan shu(The Complete Library in Four Sections). According to an imperial edict inthe 39th year of Qianlong (1774), bibliophiles in the Jiangnan District (aregion to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) who offeredcomparatively more books, for instance, those who had offered more than
500 kinds of books – “families of Bao Shigong, Fan Maozhu, Wang Qishu,
and Ma Yu will be given respectively a set of Gu jin tu shu ji cheng(Complete Collection of Illustrations and Writings from the Earliest to
Current Times) as rewards for their tradition of collecting and preserving
ancient books. Zhou Houyu and Jiang Zengying from Jiangsu, Wu Yuchi, Sun
Yangzeng, and Wang Ruli from Zhejiang, and officials like Huang Dengxian,
Jiyun, Gu Shouqian, Wang Ruzao, etc., who have offered over 100 kinds ofbooks, are all from renowned families with great book collections, and will
be given respectively a set of Pei wen yun fu (Rhyming Compendium of
Refined Literature). It is hoped that these bestowed books as rewards will
also be cherished and preserved by them.”17 Such a project was widely
known and acclaimed by the public and was believed to be the main channel
through which printed books from the Qing court were able to be distributed
among civilians.
However, that is a misunderstanding towards the channel of distribution
for woodblock printed books from the Qing court. As a matter of fact, thesebooks were not only served for the emperor’s reading or as display in thepalaces, or as gifts or rewards. Civilians were allowed to reprint books
published by the Qing court themselves, to apply for printed books from thecourt, or to sell these books.

17 The First Historical Archives of China (Ed.) Yu nei ge shang bao shi gong deng gu
jin tu shu ji cheng zhou hou yu deng pei wen yun fu ge yi bu 谕内阁赏鲍士恭等《古今图书集成》
周厚堉等《佩文韵府》
各一部 (Imperial Edict: Bestow a Set of Gu jin tu shu
ji cheng on Bao Shigong et al. Respectively, a Set of Pei wen yun fu on Zhou Houyu
et al. Respectively) (May 14th, the 39th year of Qianlong). In Zuan xiu si ku quan
shu dang an 纂修四库全书档案 (Edited Archives of the Complete Library in Four
Sections). Shanghai: Shanghai Guji Publishing House, 1997: 210–211.

Woodblock Printed Books from the Qing Court in the Nagasaki Trade73

a. Reprinting was allowed
Emperors in the Qing dynasty knew well the effects of “examining andreferencing all ancient books” and its importance on developing talents,
academics and education. They intended to expand the influence of printed
books from the Qing court, and released several edicts, asking all provinces
to distribute classics and important books and encourage local book sellers to
reprint the books and sell them to spread knowledge. According to an edictmade in the 45th year of Kangxi (1706), “Books such as Gu wen yuan jian(Profound Mirror of Ancient-style Prose) and Zi zhi tong jian gang mu(Imperially Commissioned Outlines and Details of the Comprehensive Mirrorin Aid of Governance) are printed and bestowed to governmental officials.
These books, are specially edited to help the study of young students, and canbe distributed quickly and directly to all provinces. Any book seller who
would like to reprint and sell the books is allowed to do so.” According to an
edict made in the 1st year of Qianlong (1736), “It is heard that although somebooks commissioned by the Emperor Kangxi, for instance, Yu zuan zhou yi
zhe zhong (Imperially Commissioned Collection of Zhouyi), and the threeclassics – Shang shu (The Book of Documents), Shi (Classic of Poetry), Chunqiu (The Spring and Autumn Annals), are all engraved in the woodblocks, itwill take some time for young students to submit applications and wait for
approval. Besides, one person only applies for one book and it is hard togather craftsmen to print the books, therefore, only a few students havereceived the books. It is asked that governors of all provinces should recruit
some local book sellers to prepare paper and ink so as to print these books
and sell them. And governmental officials should not deter them from the
preparation or the process of book printing. As long as local book sellers arewilling to print books, young students can easily buy them. It is hoped thatthese books will be passed from one family to another family and widely
spread.” Another edict from the 3rd year of Qianlong (1738) says,“Woodblocks of the books of classics and histories published under thecommission of the Emperor Kangxi had already been given to Buzhengshi(Head of the Bureau of Financial and Civil Affairs) of each province. They
were asked to carefully reprint these books, and give permission to local
civilians to print and sell the books. Originally it was intended that all young
students could read and recite these books and the grace of the emperor
would be received by the public. However, it is heard that the woodblocks are
stored in the provincial warehouses, and few young students or book sellers
print these books. It is asked that governors of each province restore thesewoodblocks to facilitate book printing for young students. Anyone who
would like to reprint these books is allowed to do so and governors should

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Journal of Cultural Interaction in East Asia Vol. 9 2018

not prohibit such an act.”18 Edicts of similar kinds – “print carefully, andallow the local workshops to reprint and spread widely” – can be found in thechapter “Ban xing shu ji” (Publish Books) from Qin ding da qing hui dian shili (Imperially Commissioned Collected Statutes of the Great Qing Dynasty)
and chapter four “Ban fa shu ji” (Publish Books) from Qin ding xue zheng
quan shu (Imperially Commissioned Handbook of Educational Administration).
Although civilians (including squires and book sellers) were allowed for selffunded reprinting of books published by the Imperial Secretariat, the cost ofsuch practice was high. In fact, few private bookstores, students and squires
self-funded the reprinting of sets of tomes, and most books were reprinted by
the government. For instance, the head of the Board of Rites and the Jijiu of
Guozijian (National Academy) Yang Mingshi applied for the reprinting of1021 pages of Yu zuan zhou yi zhe zhong (Imperially Commissioned Collectionof Zhouyi), 423 pages of Yu zuan xing li jing yi ( Imperially Commissioned
Essential Ideas of Nature and Principle), 1905 pages of Qin ding chun qiu
chuan shuo hui zuan (Imperially Commissioned Collection of Tales in Springand Autumn Period), 1611 pages of Qin ding shi jing chuan shuo hui zuan
(Imperially Commissioned Tales of Classic of Poetry), and 1175 pages of Qinding shu jing chuan shuo hui zuan (Imperially Commissioned Tales of Book
of Documents). Within one year, over 6000 pages of these five books werereprinted. Books transported to Japan during this period were almost books ofover 100 volumes19. It was impossible for civilians to reprint books of such a
big size for several reasons. First, such a big project would take too muchtime and it is hard to gain profits quickly. Second, it costs too much money
and is highly risky, which is against the profit-oriented business principle. At
least owners of the Chinese vessels would not undertake such a long-drawnout project.
b. Self-prepared paper and ink for printing
After the Imperial Secretariat had done the printing, the woodblocks often
laid idle. Civilians could apply for some of the woodblocks and then
18 Kun Gang (Revised), Liu Qirui (Ed.). Li bu, xue xiao, ban xing shu ji 礼部·学校·颁
行书籍 (The Board of Rites, Academies, Publish Books), the 388th volume of Qinding da qing hui dian shi li 钦定大清会典事例 (Imperially Commissioned Collected
Statutes of the Great Qing Dynasty). In Xu xiu si ku quan shu 续修四库全书 (Sequelto the Complete Library in Four Sections). Shanghai: Shanghai Guji Publishing
House, 2002: 197–209.
19 Wen Qing, Li Zong fang et al (Write). Guo Yanan et al. (Proofread). Jing ji zhi er:
shu ban 经籍志二·书版( The Second Gazetteer of Books of Classics: Book Edition),the 66th volume of Qin ding guo zi jian zhi 钦定国子监志 (Imperially Commissioned
Gazetteers of National Academy). Beijing: Beijing Guji Publishing House, 2000:
1151–1152.

Woodblock Printed Books from the Qing Court in the Nagasaki Trade75

prepared paper and ink for the printing of limited pages. The record in the
45th year of Kangxi writes, “Previously, for books written in the language of
Qing – Zi zhi tong jian gang mu (Imperially Commissioned Outlines andDetails of the Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance) and Gu wen yuan
jian (Profound Mirror of Ancient-style Prose), 100 copies were printed withthe paper of liansi (made of moso bamboo), and 600 copies were printed withthe paper of bang. After the imperial printing was done, anyone who would
like to print these two books would be given permission to print them. TodayManchu people, Mongolians and even the Han army and Han Chinese all saythat the books commissioned by the Qing emperors can be printed by theImperial Secretariat, and after the imperial printing is done and the woodblock lays idle, we are also allowed to make good use of these woodblocks
for governmental printing by the grace of the emperor. Thus, we are able tolearn the Manchu language as early as possible and print books before thewoodblocks are cracked, and the characters printed on the books are veryclear.” “Written instruction from the emperor: Noted. Please follow the caseof Gu wen yuan jian (Profound Mirror of Ancient-style Prose).”20 An edict inthe 3rd year of Qianlong claims, “Following the edict issued by the Emperor
Yongzheng, books of classics and histories which were printed by thecommission of the Emperor Kangxi are given to Buzhengsi (the Bureau of
Financial and Civil Affairs) of each province. They should carefully print thebooks and allow civilians to apply for governmental printed books and sellthem. It was intended that every young student could read and recite thesebooks and the grace of the emperor would be received by the public.
However, it is heard that the woodblocks are stored in the provincial warehouses, and few young students or book sellers print these books. It is asked
that governors of all province give due attention to this matter, and restore thewoodblocks to facilitate the reprinting by civilians. Anyone who would liketo reprint the books is allowed to do that. Do not prohibit them from
reprinting the books. If anything in the imperially commissioned books isgood for reciting and learning while the woodblocks of the books are not yet
given to the provincial governments, governors can submit an application for
the woodblocks. As to woodblocks stored in Wuyingdian (Hall of Martial
20 The First Historical Archives of China (Ed. & Transl.). Wu ying dian zong jian zao
he shi heng jin shu bing zeng yin gu wen yuan jian deng shu zhe 武英殿总监造赫世亨进书并请增印古文渊鉴等书折 (The Memorial to the Throne from the Governor of
Wuyingdian He Shiheng on More Printing of Books of Gu wen yuan jian, etc.)(August 21st, the 45th year of Kangxi). In Kang xi chao man wen zhu pi zou zhequan yi 康熙朝满文硃批奏折全译 (The Complete Translation of Reviewed Memorials
to the Throne Written in Manchu in the Era of Kangxi). Beijing: China Social
Sciences Press, 1996: 459.

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Journal of Cultural Interaction in East Asia Vol. 9 2018

Valor), Hanlinyuan (Hanlin Academy), and Guozijian (National Academy),
people who would like to have the books can apply for governmental printed
books. As to all kinds of books in the Imperial Secretariat, Man or Han officials who would like to buy and read are allowed to apply for them. As to
how to deal with officials’ purchase and printing, the Board of Rites would
discuss with other departments, make a regulation and seek for the emperor’s
advice. Everyone should be notified and follow the instructions. A suggested
plan is as follows. The price of the paper and ink needed for the governmental printing of each book will be checked and verified by relevant
departments. Any Man or Han official who would like to buy and read them,please place an order in his department and pay for the books in cash. The
governmental printing of books will be approved after the order is confirmed
and payment is done. If the official would like to pay through wages, he will
have to wait for his department to review the order and consult divisions in
Wuyingdian (Hall of Martial Valor). Then the ordered books will be sent tohim, a relevant notice will be sent to the Board of Revenue and the corresponding amount of money will be deducted from his wage.”21 Similar edicts,
such as “young students are allowed to apply for printed books from provincial governments,” “Officials who would like to pay through wages will begiven as many books as they have paid”, can be found in Qin ding da qing
hui dian shi li (Imperially Commissioned Collected Statutes of the Great Qing
Dynasty) and Qin ding xue zheng quan shu (Imperially Commissioned
Handbook of Educational Administration). There are also some records in Wu
ying dian ke shu zuo ding li (Regulations of Book Printing in Wuyingdian)22.
c. Book Sale in Chongwenmen
The sale of printed books from the Imperial Secretariat of the Qing court
dates to as early as the beginning of the Qianlong era, and the Chongwenmen
Division of Supervision was responsible for book selling23. In the 3rd year of
Qianlong, departments including the Board of Rites made a regulation: books
such as Yu xuan yu lu (Imperially Selected Sayings) from the imperial court
would be issued as usual. “Books printed by Wuyingdian (Hall of Martial
21 Qing gao zong shi lu 清高宗实录 (Records of the Emperor Qianlong of the Qing
Dynasty), Vol.70 (June 28th , the 3rd year of Qianlong), Qing shi lu 清实录 (Recordsof the Emperors in the Qing Dynasty), Vol.10. Beijing: Copies by Zhonghua Book
Company, 1985: 130.
22 The First Historical Archives of China & The Palace Museum (Ed.). Wu ying dianxiu shu chu dang an 武英殿修书处档案 (The Archives of the Printing Workshop in
Wuyingdian). Beijing: The Forbidden City Publishing House, 2014.
23 Memorials from Wang Jihua, Ying Lian, Jin Jian. In Jun ji chu lu fu zou zhe 军机处录副奏折 (Copies of Memorial to the Throne in the Grand Council) (April 26th, the38th year of Qianlong). The First Historical Archives of China.

Woodblock Printed Books from the Qing Court in the Nagasaki Trade

77

Valor) will be given to Chongwenmen Division of Supervision and stored in
the bureau of books so that young students can buy them.”24 Sayings in Yu
xuan yu lu (Imperially Selected Sayings) were selected and edited by theEmperor Yongzheng, and printed in the final years of the Yongzheng era andearly years of the Qianlong era. However, Chongwenmen Division ofSupervision had sold books from the court much earlier. Since the 7th year of
Qianlong, the printing workshop of Wuyingdian (Hall of Martial Valor) had
directly sold books. With more and more tasks of book selling, the Emperor
Qianlong set up a sale office for tongxing books (books circulating in themarketplace) in the printing workshop of Wuyingdian and sent staff to takecharge of book selling. “Tongxing books from Wuyingdian have been allowed
for sale since the 9th year of Qianlong.”25 The sale office sold books to not
only Man and Han governmental officials, soldiers and civilians, etc., but also
bookstores located in the five districts of Beijing (east, west, south, north, andmiddle). Those books sold to the public were copies of tongxingben (general
editions that were circulated in the marketplace) specially printed in common
paper with common binding, different from those copies issued by the court
following edicts from the emperors, copies intended for the display at various
palaces or copies intended as imperial rewards. They were sold at the market
prices by the currency of taels of silver. In the 39th year of Qianlong, Lv junwang yong cheng deng zou zhuo ni cun liu wu ying dian xiu shu chu ku zhu
ge zhong shu ji zhe (The Memorial to the Throne from the Prince of Lvjun
Yong Cheng and Other Officials on All Kinds of Books That Will Be Kept in
the Printing Workshop of Wuyingdian) writes, “For all printed books, either
printed by the Imperial Secretariat or imported from the outside, if the bookis of over 1000 copies, we should keep 200 copies. If the book is of 150 to
600 or 700 copies, we should keep 100 copies. If the book is of fewer than150 copies, we should keep 50 copies. These copies are all the first-editions
printed with the original woodblocks, and the paper and ink used are better
than those used for tongxingben. We have already received endless grace ofthe emperor. His Majesty, why not abolish the rule of application for printed
books, and give permission to all for getting the books. All who would like to
24 Qing gao zong shi lu 清高宗实录 (Records of the Emperor Qianlong of the Qing
Dynasty), Vol.70 (June 28th , the 3rd year of Qianlong), Qing shi lu 清实录 (Recordsof the Emperors in the Qing Dynasty), Vol.10. Beijing: Copies by Zhonghua Book
Company, 1985: 130.
25 Chen Yuan (Ed.). Zong guan nei wu fu da chen ying lian deng zou shu (The Memorial
to the Throne from the Official of Imperial Household Department Ying Lian et al.)(June 25th, the 39th year of Qianlong). In Ban li si ku quan shu dang an 办理四库全书档案 (Transaction of Archives of the Complete Library in Four Sections). Beiping:National Beiping Library, 1934.

78

Journal of Cultural Interaction in East Asia Vol. 9 2018buy the printed books can have the good books.”26 182 kinds of tongxing
books from the printing workshop of Wuyingdian were allowed to be soldthrough the Chongwenmen Division of Supervision27. Detailed records of all
kinds of books distributed by the Imperial Secretariat can be found in thebook Qing tong zhi guang xu jian wu ying dian mai shu di bu (The AccountBook of Book Sale of Wuyingdian in the Eras of Tongzhi and Guangxu) inthe library of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Wuyingdian (Hall of Martial
Valor) is the most important printing workshop in the Qing dynasty.
However, people usually pay more attention to what books it has printed, andhave little knowledge of the book sale. In the beginning of Qing tong zhi
guang xu jian wu ying dian mai shu di bu (The Account Book of Book Saleof Wuyingdian in the Eras of Tongzhi and Guangxu), it writes “savings of one
tael, nine maces, five candareens, five lis and one hao in the end of
December, the 3rd year of Tongzhi.” We can tell that Wuyingdian had kept
records of sale for a long time, maybe even since it started to sell books. It isa pity that except this account book, few other account books are left today.
We can only wait for future discoveries from the files of Wuyingdian. Fromthe beginning of the account book “savings of one tael, nine maces, fivecandareens, five lis and one hao in the end of December, the 3rd year ofTongzhi,” we can tell that records of this book had been kept since the earlydays of the 4th year of Tongzhi, which is further confirmed by the first recordin the following lines “March 16, the 4th year of Tongzhi.” The date of thelast record is “June 17, the 5th year of Guangxu.” There are 91 records in theaccount book, mostly about book sale, and a few about spending, whichindicates that officers in charge of the treasury in the division could withdraw
money when necessary. In addition, every transaction was supervised byseveral people, indicating that there was a strict management system. Fromthe 4th year of Tongzhi to June, the 5th year of Guangxu, only 70 sale records
can be found during the 15 years, showing that the printing workshop in
Wuyingdian was in decline, which matches the actual situation in
Wuyingdian. Only some old long-stored books of limited kinds were sold by
Wuyingdian. From Qing tong zhi guang xu jian wu ying dian mai shu di bu
26 The First Historical Archives of China (Ed.). Lv jun wang yong cheng deng zou zhuo
ni cun liu wu ying dian xiu shu chu ku zhu ge zhong shu ji zhe 履郡王永珹等奏酌拟
存留武英殿修书处库贮各种书籍折 (The Memorial to the Throne from the Prince of
Lvjun Yong Cheng and Other Officials on All Kinds of Books That Will Be Kept in
the Printing Workshop of Wuyingdian) (May 11th, the 39th year of Qianlong). In
Zuan xiu si ku quan shu dang an 纂修四库全书档案 (Edited Archives of the Complete
Library in Four Sections). Shanghai: Shanghai Guji Publishing House, 1997:
206–207.
27 Zhang, Xiumin. Zhong guo yin shua shi 中国印刷史 (The History of Printing in China).
Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House, 1989: 549.

Woodblock Printed Books from the Qing Court in the Nagasaki Trade

79(The Account Book of Book Sale of Wuyingdian in the Eras of Tongzhi andGuangxu), we can find that buyers were princes, officials and common civilians, showing that printed books from Wuyingdian can be sold to civilians28.
We can find that a buyer called Zhao Junying bought several copies of thesame book. It is possible that he was a book seller, or he just bought books
for others.
d. Bookstore sale
Printed books from the Imperial Secretariat were sold by bookstores as well
as Chongwenmen. However, in the era of Qianlong, there were not many
bookstores in Beijing selling printed books from the Qing court. According to
the record by Li Wenzao, only a bookstore called Xianyuelou run by thefamily of Li sold a lot of printed books from the Imperial Secretariat29. The
record of the printing workshop of Wuyingdian in the 9th year of Daoguangshows, “Books from our division are sold to bookstores in the five districts ofBeijing, apart from those sold directly to Man and Han officials, soldiers andcivilians.” The division reported to the emperor in the 9th year of Daoguang,“According to the regulation in our division, all juzhenben (precious editions)and tongxingben (general editions) are entrusted to bookstores in the five
districts for premiere sale. These bookstores are required to pay quarterly.
Please send Duchayuan (the Censorate) to supervise book firms and workshops in the five districts under the jurisdiction of Bingmasi (Department ofHorse and Calvary) in accordance with the regulation. Please gather
outstanding bookstores and establish a system of peer supervision so as toensure stable and fair book prices in the marketplace.”30
28 Anonymous. Qing tong zhi guang xu jian wu ying dian mai shu di bu 清同治光绪间
武英殿卖书底簿不分卷 (The Account Book of Book Sale of Wuyingdian in the Erasof Tongzhi and Guangxu). In Si ku wei shou shu ji kan 四库未收书辑刊 (Collectionof Books Not Included in the Complete Library in Four Sections). Beijing: Beijing
Publishing House, 2000: 105–139.
29 Li, Wenzao. Liu li chang shu si ji 琉璃厂书肆记 (Records of Bookstores in the
Liulichang Area). In Nan jian wen ji 南涧文集 (Essays of Nanjian) Vol.1. In Xu xiu
si ku quan shu 续修四库全书 (Sequel to the Complete Library in Four Sections).
Shanghai: Shanghai Guji Publishing House, 2002: 76.
30 Wu ying dian xiu shu chu dang an 武英殿修书处档案 (The Archives of the Printing
Workshop in Wuyingdian). Copies were made in early times, and the source of theedict cannot be traced.
		 The second edict is partly quoted in		 Yang, Yuliang. Qian tan qing zhong yang guan zuan tu shu de fa xing ji qi dui fazhan qing dai wen hua de zuo yong. 浅谈清中央官纂图书的发行及其对发展清代文化的作用 (On the Publish of Central Governmental Books and Its Influence on
Developing Qing Culture). In Qing dai gong shi qiu shi 清代宫史求实 (Explorationof the Qing Palace History), edited by The Society for Qing Palace History. Beijing:

80

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Beijing was the important center of book distribution in the Qing dynasty.
Some book sellers and publishers from Jiangnan District opened bookstoresin Beijing or imported books published or collected in Jiangnan District toBeijing. Many people who run book business in Liulichang area of Beijing
were from Suzhou and Huzhou31. These book sellers in Beijing knew very
well the printed books from the Imperial Secretariat. They opened bookstores
here and bought books from the Qing court directly or indirectly. Jiangnan
booksellers was an important source through whom dianben (books printed by
Wuyingdian) could be transported to the book market of Jiangnan District.
The distribution of dianben can be studied by observing the Sino-Japan tradeat that time. If we trace the source of printed books from the Qing court
transported to Japan by Chinese vessels, we will find two possible channels.
One possibility is that the vessel owners went to Beijing or sent people to
Beijing to buy the books. Another possibility is that there was an establishedbook circulation network through which printed books from the Qing court
were distributed to different regions in the country, including areas where thevessel owners lived. The vessel owners only had to search and buy printed
books in bookstores of Jiangnan District, or they simply asked the Jiangnan
book sellers who opened stores in Beijing to buy books for them. It seems
that the latter possibility fits the commercial rule better.

The Forbidden City Publishing House, 1992: 330.
31 Li, Wenzao. Liu li chang shu si ji 琉璃厂书肆记 (Records of Bookstores in the
Liulichang Area). In Nan jian wen ji 南涧文集 (Essays of Nanjian) Vol.1. In Xu xiu
si ku quan shu 续修四库全书 (Sequel to the Complete Library in Four Sections).
Shanghai: Shanghai Guji Publishing House, 2002: 77.