The Ssu-k'u Ch'uan-shu signifies a major effort on the part of the Ch'ing intellectual community to embody in a single library of classics the substance of the civilization of China. Released in a serial fomat, the encyclopedic work is, to be sure, of the highest cultural value, and has been a treasure-trove for the serious students seeking for more knowledge about the Middle Kingdom. When addressing various issues related to the Ssu-k'u Ch'uan-shu, scholars of the past had tended to focus exclusively on materials contained therein and documents pertinent to the collection itself. This author, however, has in this article taken a non-bibliographical approach. Specifically, he attempts to assess the significance of this ambitious work from a cultural studies perspective. First, an analysis will be given to show how the Ssu-k'u Ch'uan-shu is representative of the cultural heritage of China. With the structure of the library and its compilation taken into account, the paper will then proceed to outline the cultural characteristics embedded in the Ssu-k'u Ch'uan-shu. In conclusion, it is argued that the stance of the scholar-compilers in the Ssu-k'u project was firmly rooted in the Confucian lineage, and was in line with China's cultural orthodoxy. With reference to the works selected for inclusion in the library, such an orientation had served to ensure that all schools of thought were duly respected, and that no branch of knowledge, be it domestic or foreign, was neglected. The author is in the opinion that this unprejudiced broad-mindedness is in fact what has made the continuous development of culture in China a reality, and that the very same spirit is sure to elevate the civlization of China to a new horizon in the years to come.