| The book-printing business in traditional chinese method reached its climax in Ming and Qing dynasty, which is also the time when Chinese literature prospered. During the Song and Yuan dynasty, cities such as Jian Yang of Fu Jiang province had already become a prestigious center of novel printing. In these cities, the paper and ink needed for book printing were produced in large scale. Thanks to the special geographical situation of Jiang Yang city, common people who lived there successfully avoided the affect of political instability and martial events, which allowed book-printing business to be passed through generations as a family legacy and therefore became more professional and delicate. After the political center of Ming dynasty moved to Bei Jing, the former capital Nan Jing still got its influence. As the commodity economy continuously develops, the welfare of residents in estuary of Yangtze River was improved constantly. Thus these people started to seek after spiritual enjoyment. As a result of this need, novel as a secular literature flourished. While the novels and different kinds of traditional Chinese operas spread themselves, the book-printing business thrived. In the end, the center of book-printing transferred to the estuary of Yangtze river with the representative of Nan Jing city.As a city that holds strategic importance in the estuary of Yangtze river, Chang Zhou naturally takes possession of many elements that will benefit the developing of literature:special geographical location, convenience of transporting both on land and by ships, long-lasting tradition of education and culture. Those factors drew more and more intellectuals here. They exchanged their academic ideas and criticized the literary works. Centering the imperial examination for officials recruiting, academic institution, founding associations and prestigious intellectual families, the intellect group in Chang Zhou city organized a series of literary activities in different forms, and gained abundant achievements. Collecting and sorting out academic materials, publishing books had become a beloved custom among intellectuals in Chang Zhou city, which also reflected the glory of the book-printing business in this city.If we systematically check the books, which were printed in Chang Zhou city all the four traditional categories of intellectual materials, namely canons of Confucianism, officially edited history, canons of other philosophical groups other then confucianist and collected literary works can be found. Among these books elegant literary works with the taste of intellectuals take up a big of the ratio, and the best works were made for the officials recruiting examination of the empire. During Ming and Qing dynasty, the candidates of the imperial examination in Chang Zhou city ranked very high. This even made candidates of other areas jealous. Many works were written for the examination. Reference books for examination had a vast market. Therefore many works are written as a guide for prepare for the examination. Also most intellectuals in Ming and Qing dynasty, after they are recruited as officials of the government, tended to print their works out and get them published. Some of those works are written purely for getting a score in the examination, the others are the results of the academic research. When it comes to book-printing and publishing, the intellectuals in Chang Zhou city, who has already passed the imperial examination and became part of the government, tended to print out and publish their own works by themselves. No matter what motivated the action of book-printing and publishing of this kind, the process of printing out and publishing their works benefits the further improvement of the literary capability of authors. Those reference books for preparing for the imperial examination spread the literary works, while stimulated the sale of literary works.The intellectuals, who want to become one of the officials of the government, must at first study at academic institutions, so that they are qualified to participate the examination. The role of the academic institutions once changed in Ming dynasty. Regarding the Dong Lin party in the later time of Ming dynasty as a landmark, before the inauguration of Qing dynasty, those academic institutions played the duple role of propagandizing the literary and political ideology as well as training the candidates of the examinations. After the founding of the Qing dynasty, for the more rigorous manipulation of the ideology among the intellectuals, the academic institutions functioned only as a service institution of the imperial examination. As the function of the academic institution changed, the content and method of the academic institutions changed too.More and more, the books printed by those academic institutions were composed mainly by the research articles focusing on canons of Confucianism. In the end the academic institution that represents the school of Qian Jia, namely Nan Jing institution was formed. The literary activities of the academic institutions include lecturing, cruising and mutually request for composing of literary works. The socially exchanging of literary works among intellectuals in the same academic institution will be organized and sorted out into books, which recorded the main idea of this academic institution and maintained the routine of the literary activity in Chang Zhou city.For the ancient Chinese intellectuals, association forming is the most official form to exchange their thoughts. The association of intellectuals appeared for the first time in Tang Dynasty, while thrived in Ming and Qing dynasty. Association of intellectuals is a tradition in Chang Zhou city, there is a great number of literary associations of intellectuals. As the developing of the associations, the typically regional trait as well as the differences immerged, and the associations evolved into literary schools. According to the purpose of joining the association, the intellectuals association in Chang Zhou city can be divided in to two groups:to prepare for the examination more efficiently or just to gain a better fame. The forming of the association itself is the most splendid part of the literary activity in Chang Zhou city, while the intellectuals in those associations, either recorded the situation of the association individually, or compiled and edited books together, and then published them. Those works are the valuable achievements of the associations.No matter for participating the imperial examinations or forming an association, the energy of the family, as an powerful economical and cultural support, should not be neglected. The vast number and long-lasting tradition of prestigious cultural families in Chang Zhou city consists of the main advantage of the cultural legacy of Chang Zhou city. With the enormous cultural capability of the family as supporter, the candidates of examination will have higher possibility to rank higher. With the solid financial capability, the families give aid to their family members, who are candidates of the examinations, to print out and publish their books. Family especially prestigious eminent families, made great contribution to the developing of book-printing business and flourishing of literary activity in Chang Zhou city.During Ming and Qing dynasty, blossomed the Chang Zhou city. And by book-printing business this city played an irreplaceable role in the book-printing business in estuary of Yangtze river, and provided material possibility for literary activities. Centering the imperial examination for recruiting officials for government, academic institutions, association of intellectuals and prestigious celebrated families, and the intellectuals of Chang Zhou city organized a series of literary activities, which provided unexhausted energy to flourish the book-printing business. Progressing simultaneously along duple trails, Chang Zhou city shows its important influence of the literature during Ming and Qing dynasty. |
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