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Song Woodblock Printing

Type Object Region China Time c. 618–1279

Woodblock printing reproduces texts in bulk by carving characters into wooden blocks, inking them, and pressing paper;…

Timeline

  1. c. 618–907Chang'an · Shaanxi ProvinceTang woodblock printing was already used for Buddhist scriptures, calendars, and poetry; early printed editions appeared in Chang'an, Chengdu and elsewhere, laying the technical foundation for the Song dynasty's large-scale application.
  2. 960–1126Kaifeng · Henan ProvinceThe Northern Song established official printing institutions such as the Directorate of Education book repository in Kaifeng, mass-printing Confucian classics, historical records, and legal codes, promoting book standardization and nationwide circulation in conjunction with the imperial examination system.
  3. 1127–1279Lin'an · Zhejiang ProvinceAfter the Southern Song moved its capital to Lin'an, commercial and temple printing prospered as never before, with Jianyang, Chengdu and other places also becoming printing centers. From roughly 1211 to 1220, Lin'an bookshops continued to print the classics, histories, masters, and collections as well as encyclopedias, with woodblock craft and collation systems highly mature.

Sources