Amassing classics for the compilation of large libraries of books has traditionally been one of the primary concerns of imperial court in the history of China. The project of compiling the Ssu-K'u Ch'uan-Shu was initiated in 1772 when emperor Ch'ien-lung（1736-1795） issued a decree to local and provincial officials calling for the collection of all rare and valuable books. An administrative organ, the Ssu-K'u Commission, was established in the capital city of Beijing the next year to ensure that the tasks of evaluation, collation, and compilation of the books assembled were carried out in the most comprehensive and systematic manner. As a result of the hard work of thousands of scholars and copyists over a period of fifteen years, seven sets of the Ssu-K'u Ch'uan-Shu, entitled the Ssu-K'u Ch'uan-Shu Hui-Yao（Extracts of Four Collections）. The hand-copied Hui-Yao, bound in more than 11,000 volumes, consists of some 500 essential titles selected from the larger set. Intended solely for the consultation of Emperor Ch'ien-lung, only two copies of the Ssu-K'u Ch'uan-Shu Hui-Yao were made, and they were housed at the Chy-Tsao Tang in the Forbidden City and the Wei-Yu Study Hall
