China Printing Museum

China Printing Museum

The China Printing Museum serves as a patriotic education base.

The China Printing Museum is located in Beijing. Established in 1996, it covers a construction area of 8,100 square meters and is currently the world’s largest museum dedicated to printing.

It includes the “Origin & Ancient Hall,” “Modern & Contemporary Hall,” “Printing Equipment Hall,” and “Comprehensive Hall.” There are also special exhibitions on “Printing in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan,” “Currency Printing,” “Stamp Printing,” “Early European Printing,” and “Exquisite Printing Works.”

Background of Construction

Printing is one of the Four Great Inventions of ancient China. Its invention, development, and dissemination have played a tremendous role in advancing society and human civilization. As such, printing is often referred to as the “Mother of Civilization.”

The purpose of building the China Printing Museum is to promote the long and glorious printing culture of the Chinese nation, to showcase the wisdom of ancient people to all sectors of society, and to provide patriotic education for young people. With printing technology as its theme, the museum displays representative printed materials, printing equipment, and related raw materials from various dynasties, highlighting the important role of printing in cultural development, social progress, the dissemination of scientific knowledge, industrial growth, improving people’s lives, and international cultural exchange.

Development History

After four years of preparation, the China Printing Museum was completed and opened on June 1, 1996. Since 1997, it has been designated by relevant Beijing authorities as a “Beijing Youth Education Base” and a “Beijing Science Education Base.” In early 2001, it was further recognized by the Beijing Municipal Tourism Bureau as an “AA”-rated tourist attraction. To prepare for the 7th World Printing Congress held in Beijing in 2001, the museum underwent renovation, with an investment of 10 million yuan to build an underground exhibition hall. The renovated China Printing Museum now has a total construction area of 8,100 square meters.

Architectural Layout

Origin & Ancient Hall

The Origin & Ancient Hall is located on the third floor of the museum, covering an area of 800 m². Through pictures, texts, artifacts, and models, it showcases the historical process of the origin, invention, development, and spread of ancient Chinese printing. The Origin section introduces the historical and cultural background related to the invention of printing from 4000 BC to the 6th century. The Ancient section displays the history of the invention, development, and dissemination of printing from the early 7th century to 1911.

Modern & Contemporary Hall

The Modern & Contemporary Hall is located on the second floor of the museum, with an exhibition area of about 800 m². Through display panels and artifacts, it introduces the introduction of modern printing technology in the mid-19th century, as well as the development of China’s national printing industry and printing technology. It also showcases the modernization process of China’s printing and related industries over the past 50-plus years since the founding of New China. The hall also displays a small number of printing machines and equipment, some of which can be operated for demonstration.

Comprehensive Hall

This hall is located in the first-floor lobby. Exhibition booths are set up by renowned domestic and international printing companies, related institutions, and research institutes. There is also an exhibition area for exquisite printing works, featuring a selection of finely printed and distinctive items. In the center of the lobby stands a bronze statue of Bi Sheng, the inventor of movable type printing, along with large-screen video equipment, a gift shop, and visitor rest areas.

Printing Equipment Hall

This hall is located underground, covering an area of approximately 2,200 m², and was completed in May 2001. It exhibits a variety of pre-press, printing, and post-press processing equipment from 1865 to the early 1990s. These pieces were donated by the printing industry both in China and abroad, and some of them are now extremely rare. Visiting this hall offers insight into the development history of China’s modern printing industry and printing machinery.

Special Exhibition Areas

On the second and first floors of the museum, there are special exhibition areas respectively dedicated to “Printing in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan,” “Currency Printing,” “Stamp Printing,” and “Early European Printing.” These sections have provided a collection of valuable exhibits from sources including China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation, the Stamp Printing Bureau, printing industry stakeholders in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and the Gutenberg Museum in Germany. These special exhibitions are highly informative and offer strong visual appeal.

Museum Collections

The museum’s treasures include: Buddhist scriptures, the Southern Song Dynasty’s unique edition of “Spring and Autumn Annals with Commentary,” and the “Announcement to Calm the People” from the first year of the Shunzhi era in the Qing Dynasty. The Printing Equipment Hall of the China Printing Museum houses a large collection of modern and contemporary printing machinery, making it one of the museums with the most extensive collection of printing equipment in the world.

Address: No. 25, Xinghua North Road, Huangcun, Daxing District, Beijing

Phone: 010-60261237; 010-60261988

Official Website: http://www.chnpm.org/

Opening Hours:

8:30–16:30 (Closed on Mondays)

Further Reading:

·A national first-class museum in China