ABSTRACT
The first books to emerge with the invention of printing in the Tang Dynasty were works of history and the Buddhist scriptures. With the development of printing from the Song Dynasty, the printing of books gradually became universal, and the number of bookstores in the urban markets increased. With the development of the art of printing and books and bookstores becoming the new dominant medium of the transmission of literature, great strides were made in literary creation. Moreover, there was a great surge in the number of poets who became scholars and scholars who were at the same time poets. Even more noteworthy is the fact that, following the geographical expansion of the art of printing, from the Yuan Dynasty on a great number of literary works of the popular kind were printed, and this, coupled with the comparatively low cost of publishing, was an important factor in rapid expansion of the popularity of all kinds of dramatic works.
