Development of Chinese Woodblock Printing

Name: Development of Chinese Woodblock Printing
Start: 701
End: 800

Type Event Region China Time 701–800

In 8th-century Tang China, woodblock printing techniques grew increasingly mature, with expanded printing of Buddhist scriptures, calendars, and Conf…

Timeline

701–770Chang'an · ChinaTang temples and official institutions printed Buddhist scriptures and dharani mantras on a large scale in Chang'an and elsewhere. Blocks were carved from hard woods such as pear and jujube, and the inking and papering process became standardized, significantly improving print quality.
750–800Chengdu · SichuanBesides Chang'an, commercial cities like Chengdu and Yangzhou saw the emergence of private printing shops producing calendars, dictionaries, and poetry anthologies, extending woodblock printing from religious use to secular education and commercial publishing.

Sources

中国印刷史 — 张秀民 (2005)
Science and Civilisation in China, Vol. 5 Part 1: Paper and Printing — Tsien Tsuen-Hsuin (1985)