Three Centuries of Chinese Printing in the Netherlands: Uit het veld: verkenning

Yun Xie

doi:10.5117/JNB2025.007.XIE

ISSN: 1381-0065
E-ISSN: 2772-7726

oa Three Centuries of Chinese Printing in the Netherlands

Uit het veld: verkenning
Author: Yun Xie
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
Source: Jaarboek voor Nederlandse Boekgeschiedenis, Volume 32, Issue 2025, Jul 2025, p. 130 - 147
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5117/JNB2025.007.XIE
Language: English
- Published online: 01 Jul 2025

Abstract

This article traces the evolution of Chinese printing in the Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century, from its initial appearance as pseudo-characters in European books to the 19th-century efforts to print Chinese texts accurately. It explores technological advancements alongside the contributions of scholars, missionaries, publishers, and often overlooked craftsmen and Chinese assistants. Decisions about what to print, how, and for whom were shaped by global histories, colonialism, and cross-cultural exchanges. The history of Chinese printing reflects the interplay of power, labor, and knowledge, offering a microcosm of global history where cultures met and adapted.

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2025-12-05

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