China’s citizens from all walks of life began consuming literature voraciously and the country’s literacy drastically increased. While laboriously hand-written copies of texts were extortionately expensive, printed copies could be mass-produced and were affordable to a wider range of social classes. During the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127), this process was further enhanced when a Chinese inventor named Bi Sheng created movable type printing. Towards the end of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the development of woodblock printing meant that thousands of books could be quickly, easily, and cheaply produced. In terms of science and technology, the Song Dynasty saw advancements that would have a drastic effect not only China, but also the rest of the world. The spread of affordable literature gave rise to an elite class of scholars from a variety of social backgrounds the burgeoning trade economy meant that financial prosperity was widespread and leisure activities gradually became a pastime enjoyed by more than just the privileged few. In many ways, the Song Dynasty was an era of great change and reformation in Chinese history.
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