Hangzhou primary students take a class on movable type printing

Students at a primary school in Hangzhou had their first class on Tuesday on how to make movable type, an ancient Chinese printing system, reports Global Times.

The West Lake Primary School in the capital of Zhejiang Province introduced the movable type course in the new semester. A craftsman specializing in Chinese characters culture was invited to the campus to teach students how to use the ancient printing technology.

Students attend lectures on the history of movable type along with practical classes on typesetting and printing. They then print their own document using the knowledge that they’ve learned. One student printed her essay on whether the traditional red envelopes stuffed with money she received during the Lunar New Year belong to her or her parents.

Known as one of the four great inventions of ancient China, movable type printing was invented by Bi Sheng in the 1040s during the Song dynasty. Individual characters are carved on identical pieces of fine clay or metal and arranged in a printing block to reproduce a document. Bi Sheng’s invention is the world’s first known system of movable type printing.

The school said the course is aimed at improving the student’s awareness of Chinese characters and their appreciation for Chinese culture.