| Woodblock Printing and Paper
Woodblock printing on paper was used extensively. It was one of the reasons for the increase in literacy. Books were available in multiple copies relatively cheaply. Some of the most common books were calendars, used to keep track of the seasons and planting days. But equally numerous were Buddhist manuscripts. The earliest printed woodblock work is the Buddhist dharani sutra dating to around 650 to 670. The Diamond Sutra was printed in 868. It is a full length book and heavily illustrated..
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