Wang Zhen was born in Shandong province,…
1313 CE
Wang Zhen was born in Shandong province, and spent many years as an official of both Anhui and Jiangxi provinces.
From the years 1290 to 1301, he was a magistrate for Jingde, Anhui province, where he was a pioneer of the use of wooden movable type printing.
The wooden movable type is described in Wang Zhen's publication of 1313, known as the Nong Shu, or Book of Agriculture.
Although the title describes the main focus of the work, it incorporates much more information on a wide variety of subjects that is not limited to the scope of agriculture.
Thus very important medieval treatise outlines the application and use of the various Chinese sciences, technologies, and agricultural practices.
From water powered bellows to movable type printing, it is considered a descriptive masterpiece on contemporary medieval Chinese technology.