As Buddhism became popular in China during the Tang dynasty, there was a strong need to produce a large number of Buddhist scriptures. C (copy) by hand could not meet the rising need. So, ancient Chinese craftsmen came up w a new way to make lots of copies--woodblock printing.
Traditional woodblock printing can be d into four main steps: writing, carving, printing and binding. Each of these steps (include) many smaller tasks, and in total, about 30 steps are needed to c a woodblock printing.
Carving is at the h of the woodblock printing because this step can make or break the final print. Skilled craftsmen carve characters and pictures to create raised areas or lines which hold ink for printing.
One f example of woodblock printing is the Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist scripture printed in 868. It's considered the "earliest dated printed book" and is s in the British library. This ancient art form not only shows the wisdom of our abut also the beauty of Chinese craftsmanship over the centuries.
Before printing, writing allowed people to share their thoughts, but the invention of printing made knowledge something everyone could (easy) get and enjoy.
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