Biljana M. Đurašinović
biljana.djurasinovic@gmail.com

doi: 10.19090/cit.2019.35.20-37
No. 35 (November 2019), p. 20-37

Books and Libraries in China from Ancient Times to the Fall of the Empire

Summary

This paper describes the development of books and libraries in China, from the formation of the fi rst dynasties until the fall of the Empire, at the beginning of the 20th century. Their status and roll were placed in the context of social, political and cultural changes, especially those which had the profound impact on their further development. The invention of paper and xylography as an initial stage in the development of printing techniques were of immense importance throughout the world at that time. Both inventions have contributed to the increase in printing and publishing production, not only within the territory of China but also in other parts of the world. In this paper, they were considered within Chinese society which was their source. Also, the paper considers diff erent types of libraries. Special attention is given to their work in the period of stability which resulted in faster development of cultural institutions. The Imperial Library, as well as the other state libraries, was especially active during the rule of the Song dynasty. Other types of libraries developed mostly during the rule of the Tang, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In spite of the fact that Chinese libraries were not open to the public (they were more depository then rental institutions) they had strong impact, especially on groups closely related to the emperor. Exceptions were monastic libraries, since their rules obliged the monks to write and read books in the silence of the temples. The fi rst part of the paper describes printing production which contributed to the increase in the types and number of publications in all libraries of China.

Keywords:

China, libraries, Imperial Library, Tang dynasty, Song dynasty, Ming dynasty, Qing dynasty, paper, xylography, printing

Submitted: 11th October 2019
Correction to the manuscript: 27th October 2019
Accepted for publication: 30th October 2019

Books and Libraries in China from Ancient Times to the Fall of the Empire by Biljana M. Đurašinović is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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