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Ming Woodblock Printing

Type Object Region China Time 1368

Ming woodblock printing inherited Song and Yuan traditions, with official and commercial printing flourishing from Hongwu to Xuande, forming printing…

Timeline

  1. 1368–1424Nanjing · NanjingIn the early Ming, the Nanjing Imperial Academy and the imperial household printed works such as the History of Yuan and the Great Ming Code, restoring book printing after the wars and establishing official printing standards and layout norms.
  2. 1431–1440Jianyang bookshops · JianyangIn the 1430s, commercial printing flourished in Jianyang, Suzhou, and elsewhere, printing encyclopedias, medical books, fiction, and examination aids, with fine blocks and wide circulation, complementing official printing in Nanjing and Beijing.
  3. 1431–1440Beijing · BeijingAfter the capital's move, the Beijing Imperial Academy and imperial household continued printing classics, histories, philosophers, and literary collections; princely estate printing also flourished under Xuande and Zhengtong, making woodblock printing a core technical means of Ming knowledge institutions and cultural transmission.

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