Tang+Printing

=The Art of Chinese Printing.=

The Tang dynasty was perhaps the most advanced culture of its time. One of their superior inventions was paper and movable type. This was probably their most important invention because it is the one that most impacts are current life. This is also a very interesting topic to read about.

The invention of movable type is a very controversial topic. Some people believe a German man named Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type at sometime in his life from 1400-1468. This is a common misconception and it was really a man in the Chinese court. Gutenberg did not invent movable type, but he did invent the first complete printing press. He was still an important inventor in world history.

Movable type printing was first invented in 1041 by Bi Sheng in China. Sheng used clay type, which broke easily, but Wang Zhen later carved a more durable type from wood by 1298 AD, and developed a complex system of revolving tables and number-association with written Chinese characters that made typesetting and printing more efficient. The transition from wood type to metal type occurred during the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea and is credited to Chae Yun-ui. Records indicate that by 1234, books were being printed in Korea with movable metal type, though the earliest surviving text is from 1377.This was all about 500 years before Gutenberg was credited for inventing movable type.

Wood block printing was very inferior to movable type. It took them 20 years to print all the analects of Confucius. The analects of Confucius were so important because the civil service test that determined what government job you would get. Another important text was the Great Learning. The book consists of a short main text, attributed to Confucius and nine commentaries chapters by Zeng Zi, one of Confucius' disciples. Its importance is illustrated by Zeng Zi's foreword that this is the gateway of learning.

The invention of movable type was a very important advancment. If that had not been invented than there would of never been a newspaper press invented. With movable type along many of the other Tang inventions, it’s no wonder they call it China’s golden age.

Question 1. What was the name of the man whot took credit for inventing movable type?

Question 2. What was ther name of the person who really invented movable type?

Question 3. What was the first form of printing? www.hat.mmu.ac.uk/ southasia/large-5.html . Wood block printing took a long time to complete.

=[|Wood Block Venture]=

=[|Wikipedia] Reliable, Trust Me=

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