EARLY PRINTING MUSEUM – Cheongju

Well, a bunch of history teachers were surprised today when we found that Gutenberg was not the first to use a printing press with movable metal type.  The very first book made with metal type was printed in . . . . . you guessed it – Korea!  The Jikji, a book of Buddhist scriptures, was printed in July of 1377 (73 years before Gutenberg) at Heungdeoksa Temple. Unfortunately, like so many treasures in the British Museum, the Jikji is in the National Museum of France and the French aren't giving it up. 

The exterior of the printing museum

Display inside the printing museum

The very well-curated museum has demonstrations and life-sized models showing how the type was molded and set, and how books were printed and bound.  After touring the museum we enjoyed a fun activity period where we made paper out of mulberry pulp, made our own prints, used wax rubbing to decorate the cover, and then stitched the binding of our books. 

The type set used for priting

Making mulberry pulp paper

It really is amazing how much time, care, and money the Koreans have put into their museums.  Each one we’ve visited has been brand new, attractive, with good signage and some interactive elements.  It’s clear that Korea is making a concentrated effort to reestablish their true history rather than the revisionist history imposed upon them during the period of Japanese imperialism.