The Buddhist History of Moveable Type Before Gutenberg – Tricycle.org


Forget Johannes Gutenberg. The first person to ever make a book printed with moveable type was named Choe Yun-ui.
— Read on tricycle.org/magazine/buddhist-history-moveable-type/

Here is an addendum to the western narrative that places Gutenberg and Germany at the center of the invention of moveable type and printing of books. I have been looking for a history that is inclusive of the inventions and innovations from Asia. This one is a starting point. I remain hopeful for further scholarly histories.

The crux of this link is that Korea, China, and the Mongol empire played a role in humanity’s exploration with the printed word organized on/with metal, some 150 years before Gutenberg at an important inflection point. Those innovations may, or may not, have spread to Europe. There is where the gaps are.