Yilin is a subdivision of Sikuquanshu, which belongs to miscellaneous categories. The section contains hundred schools of thought's works and various books, as well as those who compiled hundred schools of thought, summed up his main ideas, quoted Confucianism more, and ignored hundred schools of thought's theory, so there are hundred schools of thought and heresy. In the Tang Dynasty, Ma Zong had written works as early as in the Liang Dynasty. Yu Zhongrong once took 107 essays of various schools in China since the Zhou and Qin Dynasties, and took its subject as 30 volumes, named Zi Chao. General Ma thought it was not appropriate to take its details, so he added more losses and compiled Yi Lin.

Yilin Publishing House was founded in 1988, formerly known as Yilin Editorial Department of Jiangsu People's Publishing House.

Yilin Publishing House mainly publishes foreign language books, foreign language reference books, foreign language learning textbooks and study guidance books, foreign literature works and foreign social science works, foreign literature and language research works, etc. It has a strong editorial force in English, French, German, Russian, Japanese and other languages and a high-level translation team in the prime of life.