First of all, as early as 400 years ago.

During the reign of Renzong in the Northern Song Dynasty (104 1 ~ 1048), "Buyi" Bi Sheng invented clay type printing, which was a great technological revolution in the printing history of China, 400 years earlier than that of Europe and Gutenberg.

Second, introduction:

Bi Sheng (about 970- 105 1 year) was born in Zhangzhou (now yingshan county, Hubei) in the Northern Song Dynasty. A great inventor in ancient China. The invention of movable type printing was more than 400 years earlier than the invention of metal movable type printing by German Gutenberg.

In the early Song Dynasty, he was an engraver in Hangzhou Bookstore. During the Song and Qing Dynasties (1041-1048), he invented movable type printing technology based on his own practical experience, that is, engraving words on a clay tablet, printing one word at a time, and hardening with fire to form movable type. Bi Sheng died before this technology was popularized. His words were collected by Shen Kuo's family, and his deeds can be found in Shen Kuo's Meng Qian Bi Tan. Movable type printing has many advantages, such as multi-purpose, repeated use, fast printing speed, saving time and labor, and saving materials. It is more economical and convenient than full-page lettering. It is a qualitative leap in the history of printing technology and has a great and far-reaching impact on the printing progress of later generations and even the world civilization. It is called one of four great inventions of ancient china. Bi Sheng's tombstone was found in 1990 yingshan county, Hubei province. He died in February of the fourth year of the Northern Song Dynasty.