Gyokuhen (Yupian), Volume 27, First Half: A National Treasure of Linguistic Heritage at Kōzan-ji Temple

Deep in the forested mountains of northwestern Kyoto, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kōzan-ji (高山寺) preserves one of the most remarkable documents in the history of the Chinese written language. The Gyokuhen Volume 27, First Half (玉篇巻第廿七〈前半〉) is a National Treasure of Japan—a Tang dynasty manuscript copy of an ancient Chinese character dictionary that has long since vanished from its homeland. For visitors with a passion for language, history, and the enduring power of the written word, this rare manuscript offers a window into over 1,400 years of scholarly tradition.

What Is the Gyokuhen (Yupian)?

The Gyokuhen, known in Chinese as Yupian (玉篇, literally "Jade Book"), is one of the oldest and most important character dictionaries in Chinese history. It was compiled in 543 CE by the scholar Gu Yewang (顧野王, 519–581) during the Liang dynasty (502–557), one of the Southern Dynasties of China. The dictionary originally comprised 30 volumes and catalogued approximately 16,917 characters, organized by a system of 542 radicals.

What set the Yupian apart from earlier dictionaries like the Shuowen Jiezi (説文解字) was its detailed approach: for each character, it provided the pronunciation through the fanqie method, extensive quotations from classical texts to illustrate meaning, and Gu Yewang's own scholarly commentary marked as "wild king's opinion" (野王案). This comprehensive treatment made it an indispensable reference work throughout East Asia for centuries.

Why Is It Designated a National Treasure?

The original text of the Yupian was lost in China centuries ago. Through the vicissitudes of dynastic change and the passage of time, no complete manuscript of Gu Yewang's original work survived on the Asian mainland. However, because large numbers of Chinese books were imported to Japan during the Sui and Tang dynasties (6th–9th centuries), several fragmentary volumes of the original Yupian survived in Japanese temple collections.

Today, only portions of volumes 8, 9, 18, 19, 22, 24, and 27 are known to exist—together preserving approximately 2,100 characters, or roughly 12% of the original work. Of these surviving fragments, only two volumes survive in their entirety: Volume 22 (held at Ise Shrine) and Volume 27, which is split between two temples. The Kōzan-ji manuscript constitutes the first half of Volume 27, containing the section headings and 270 characters of the "thread/silk" radical (糸部). The complementary second half is preserved at Ishiyama-dera temple in Shiga Prefecture, and both halves are separately designated as National Treasures.

The manuscript is believed to have been copied in China during the 7th or 8th century (Tang dynasty), making it an extraordinarily early witness to the original text. Written in ink on paper (紙本墨書), it measures 27.2 cm in height with a total length of 915.0 cm. Its scholarly and cultural value is immeasurable: it is the only surviving link to a foundational work of Chinese lexicography that shaped the study of written language across East Asia.

The Significance for Linguistic History

The Yupian's importance extends far beyond Japan. As the third-oldest Chinese character dictionary (after the Shuowen Jiezi and the now-lost Zilin), it represents a critical stage in the evolution of Chinese lexicography. The original Yupian used a radical-based organization that was innovative for its time, grouping related radicals by semantic categories to improve usability—an approach quite different from the Shuowen Jiezi.

Because the original Yupian was lost in China, the Song dynasty revision known as the Da Guang Yi Hui Yupian (大広益会玉篇, completed in 1013 CE) became the standard text. However, this later edition dramatically simplified the detailed annotations and quotations that made Gu Yewang's original so valuable. The Japanese manuscripts, including the Kōzan-ji volume, thus preserve irreplaceable textual information unavailable anywhere else in the world.

Furthermore, the Buddhist monk Kūkai (空海, 774–835)—founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism—used the Yupian as the basis for his own dictionary, the Tenrei Banshō Meigi (篆隷万象名義), which is also a National Treasure held at Kōzan-ji. The arrangement of characters in Kūkai's dictionary closely matches the surviving Yupian fragments, providing scholars with a way to reconstruct the overall structure of the lost original.

Kōzan-ji Temple: Guardian of Cultural Treasures

Kōzan-ji (高山寺), formally known as Toganōsan Kōzan-ji (栂尾山高山寺), is a Shingon Buddhist temple nestled in the Toganoo mountains of Kyoto's Ukyō Ward. The temple was effectively founded by the renowned monk Myōe (明恵上人, 1173–1232), who received the temple grounds from Emperor Go-Toba in 1206. Though perhaps best known worldwide for the Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga ("Scrolls of Frolicking Animals"), often called the oldest manga in the world, Kōzan-ji holds eight National Treasures and over 10,000 Important Cultural Properties.

Among its National Treasures in the field of writings and manuscripts are three items of exceptional rarity: the Gyokuhen Volume 27, the Tenrei Banshō Meigi, and the Meihōki (冥報記)—a Tang dynasty collection of Buddhist tales that also no longer survives in China. Together, these manuscripts testify to the pivotal role that Japanese temples played in preserving Chinese cultural heritage that would otherwise have been lost forever.

Kōzan-ji is also celebrated as the birthplace of Japanese tea culture. The Zen master Eisai (栄西) gave tea seeds to Myōe, who planted them at the temple—the oldest tea garden in Japan still exists on the grounds today.

Highlights and What to See

While the Gyokuhen manuscript itself is a fragile historical document that is not on permanent public display, visitors to Kōzan-ji can experience the rich cultural environment that has safeguarded this treasure for over 800 years.

Surrounding Area

Kōzan-ji is located in the Takao area, known as one of Kyoto's finest spots for autumn foliage. The three temples of the Takao area—Jingo-ji (神護寺) at Takao, Saimyō-ji (西明寺) at Makio, and Kōzan-ji at Toganoo—are collectively known as the "Sanbi" (Three Tails) and offer a wonderful day of temple-hopping through magnificent mountain scenery.

Jingo-ji, in particular, holds its own impressive collection of National Treasures and is famous for its dramatic hillside approach. The area is less crowded than central Kyoto's famous temples, making it ideal for visitors seeking a more contemplative and authentic experience of Japanese Buddhist culture.