This online lecture series brings together leading scholars from North America and China to explore Ming dynasty book and manuscript culture. Presentations will be followed by Q and A with the speakers.
Weekly sessions on Mondays at 4PM (PDT) from May 4, 2026 - July 27, 2026.
Monday, June 29, 2026
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Zhaohui He | 何朝晖, Professor, Institute for Classical Philology, Advanced Institute for Confucian Studies, Shandong University.
Movable-type printing flourished during the Ming dynasty. This prosperity was reflected in its wide geographic distribution, the large number of institutions and groups engaged in movable-type printing, and the broad range of works produced, covering the classics, histories, philosophical writings, and literary collections. A considerable number of such editions survive today, including both wood movable-type and metal movable-type prints. Beginning with the social background of the Ming dynasty, this lecture analyzes the reasons behind the flourishing of movable-type printing. It outlines the development of movable-type printing during the Ming period and examines its position in the history of Chinese printing. Drawing on specific examples and physical editions, the lecture further explores the distinctive features of Ming movable-type printing, its relationship with woodblock printing, its role within the publishing industry, and its impact on the social and cultural life of the Ming dynasty.
This program will be delivered in Chinese with live simultaneous English interpretation provided by Yu Xuan Tay, Ph.D. student of Buddhist Studies at UCLA.
Click RSVP to register now.
He Zhaohui is a professor at the Institute for Classical Textual Studies, Institute for Advanced Confucian Studies, Shandong University. His primary research fields include Ming history, philology, and book history.
Presented by UCLA Library, The Claremont Colleges Library and Columbia University Libraries with funding support from the James P. Geiss and Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation.
www.library.ucla.edu/visit/events-exhibitions/training-the-trainers-materiality-of-ming-books-and-manuscripts/
Sponsor(s): Center for Chinese Studies, UCLA Library