Delicate strokes, carved onto wood, with ultimate precision-this is woodblock printing, ancient printing technique that advanced human civilization.
As Buddhism prospered in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) , there was a strong need (produce) a large amount of Buddhist scriptures. Meanwhile, (copy) by hand could not meet the rising demand. Ancient Chinese craftsmen thus came up with a novel way to mass produce printed works. Hence came the earliest form of woodblock printing.
(tradition) woodblock printing comprises four major steps: writing, engraving, printing, and binding. With each step then further (divide) into several procedures, it takes roughly 30 steps to produce a woodblock print. Carving is at the center of woodblock printing as this painstaking step can make break the final print. Characters and images (carve) to produce raised areas or lines that will eventually apply ink to paper. It calls for a pair of skilled hands.
A five-meter-scroll of the Buddhist scripture Diamond Sutra, printed in 868, is the "earliest dated printed book" in the words of the British Library it is stored. It is just one example of ancient works of art that not only tell the wisdom of our ancestors, but also are an evidence of the (pursue) of beauty by Chinese craftsmen throughout centuries.
The invention of writing gave life great thoughts, but it is the invention of printing that made knowledge a shareable fruit for all humankind.
