3870 entries. Last updated May 17, 2013.

5,048 Printed Volumes Containing 130,000 Pages (972 – 983)


Point A marks Chendu, or Ch'eng-tu, China. (View Larger)

The whole Buddhist canon, usually called the Tripitaka, was printed from wood blocks in Chengdu (Chengtu) China.

"This collection consisted of 5,048 volumes covering 130,000 pages. It therefore required the cutting of 130,000 blocks. This massive work, together with additions, was reprinted frequently during the Sung" (Carter, Invention of Printing in China 2nd ed [1955] 89).