Innovator of Wooden Movable-type Printing Wang Zhen First Listed in Papermaking Industry Hall of Fame

Latest news: Wang Zhen, the propellant of wooden movable-type printing in Yuan Dynasty, succeeded in entry into the list of 2015 Papermaking Industry World Hall of Fame, becoming the second scientist from the ancient time globally recognized after Cai Lun first among the list in 2009.

The Papermaking Industry World Hall of Fame, as a non-profit organization in the United States, aims at commending and sharing somebody or something or heritages related to paper industry. This organization will select outstanding figures that have made great contributions to the world papermaking industry among the list of Papermaking Industry World Hall of Fame each year to sing high praise for their contributions to the papermaking industry. The Chinese scientist Wang Zhen, who lived in Yuan Dynasty, was selected into the list for his innovation and propelling actions to wooden movable-type printing.

Wang Zhen (from 1271 to 1368), born in Dongping County Shandong Province in Yuan Dynasty, is the first explorer in wooden movable-type printing for mass publications, greatly promoting the development of such printing technology. In addition, he also designed the rotatable composing stick and the method for characters storage classified by rhyme to make the typography further step forward. Although Wang Zhen is not the inventor of wooden movable-type composition, the methods he designed have made great contributions to the development of the typographic technology. Wang Zhen is one of the four greatest agronomists in the Chinese history, famous for Book of Agriculture by Wang Zhen, which is an agricultural encyclopedia with significant scientific value. Movable-type Printing Methods and the drawings about letter press plates attached to the book have become valuable references in the printing history.

Chinese printing workers shall take pride in our printing industry with a long history leaving precious experience for next generations. Nowadays, Chinese printing industry is featured with more fashionability and high technology, playing a critical role in the paper market at home and abroad. We hope all printing workers can work and struggle together to make the printing become a glory of China and even the world.