Yonggam sugyeong (The Handy Mirror in the Dragon Shrine), Volumes 3-4

A dictionary of Chinese characters compiled by the monk Xingjun in 997, the fifteenth year of Shengzong of Liao China. Unlike earlier Chinese dictionaries, it arranges characters first by radical and then, within each stroke group, by rhyme, combining several methods, and it covers not only standard forms but all the popular variants, with explanations. When it was reprinted in Korea is not known; it is known only that it was printed at Naju under the charge of Gwon Deung-ryeong. The original Yonggam sugyeong was lost early in China and reappeared under Southern Song as the Longkan shoujian, so the original Liao edition has long been lost. In Korea there were volume 1, found at Yujeomsa on Geumgangsan, and volumes 3 and 4, found in the library of Choe Nam-seon; the original of these is thought to be a Goryeo recarving. It is thus the only surviving copy of the original form of the Yonggam sugyeong, and on 28 November 1996 it was upgraded from treasure. With about 26,430 head characters and 163,170 characters of commentary, it is a very precious dictionary, and as the only source for the phonology of Liao its value is very highly regarded.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seongbuk-gu, Seoul

Designation

National Treasure · 국보