Printing in the 17th century China was no longer limited to the scholar or the officials, but it was also used by merchants, to print their daily entries. Moreover, reading during this time grew a leisure activity. Almost all the sections of the society began reading poetries, autobiographies, romantic plays etc. This new reading culture was followed by modern technology. In the late 19th century, Western publication methods and mechanical presses were introduced in China as a result of the establishment of Western powers outposts in China. Thereon, Shanghai became the hub of the new print culture, provisioning to the western school. A gradual shift could now be seen in the method of printing from hand printing to machine printing.
