Song Dynasty Woodblock Printing Industry

Timeline

1. c. 960–1000Chengdu · ChengduAfter founding, Northern Song inherited Five Dynasties printing traditions in Chengdu and Hangzhou; temples and bookshops printed Buddhist texts, rhyme books, and exam books, with woodblock technique standardized and carving, printing, and binding clearly divided.
2. 1001–1010Bianjing (Kaifeng) · KaifengThe Bianjing Directorate of Education and regional transport commissioners printed Confucian classics and almanacs; private printing in Hangzhou, Meizhou, and elsewhere also flourished; woodblock prints sold nationwide via canals and roads, becoming the main medium for scholars' study and temple proselytizing.
3. c. 1010–1100Hangzhou · HangzhouIn mid-late Northern Song, the state organized carving of the Buddhist canon; local bookshops competed with commercial editions, showing early shop branding and copyright awareness; woodblock printing became a core pillar of the Song cultural industry.