East Asian Woodblock Printing

Timeline

1. c. 650–750Chang'an · ShaanxiEarly printed items such as Sanskrit Diamond Sutra scrolls show that woodblock technique was already used for Buddhist circulation; government and temples sponsored sutra carving, and paper, ink, and carving trades developed accordingly.
2. c. 960–1127Hangzhou–Meishan · JiangnanBookshops in Hangzhou, Meishan, and elsewhere printed classics, encyclopedias, medical books, and examination texts; copyright plates and bookseller networks emerged, extending woodblock printing from a religious tool into a secular knowledge commodity.
3. c. 1230–1330Kaesŏng–Kyoto · GoryeoGoryeo printed large Buddhist canons such as the Sutra of the Eight Brightnesses, and Japanese temples printed Chinese classics and kana reading materials; an East Asian woodblock transmission sphere centered on Chinese characters took shape, with carving and papermaking crafts evolving separately.
4. 1341–1350Dadu–Hangzhou · JiangnanYuan court institutions such as the Directorate of Astronomy and the Directorate of Education printed calendars, agricultural books, and Confucian classics; private bookshops in Hangzhou, Jianyang, and elsewhere remained prosperous, with woodblock and the movable type that appeared in the Yuan coexisting to serve examinations and daily reading.
5. c. 1410–1600Nanjing–Beijing · ChinaGiant woodblock projects such as the Yongle Encyclopedia and the Buddhist Canon ran alongside Jianyang and Jinling bookshop editions of novels and drama; woodblock printing reached its peak of craftsmanship and output in East Asia until lithography and letterpress gradually replaced it in modern times.