This scriptural press 經刻處 was founded by Yáng Wénhuì 楊文會 and some of his friends in Nánjīng 南京 around 1866 to reprint Buddhist sūtras. At first, this work was done by hand. In 1874, they set up a permanent building to house the woodblocks they had carved.
In 1908 Yáng opened the Jetavana Monastery 祇洹精舍 here, which ran for two years.
After Yáng's death in 1911, the press was taken over by his disciples Ōuyáng Jìngwú 歐陽竟無, Chén Xīān 陳樨庵, and Chén Yífǔ 陳宜甫. Three years later, Ōuyáng established the China Inner Studies Academy 支那內學院 here.
With the founding of the PRC, Yuányīng 圓瑛, Yīngcí 應慈, Zhào Pòchū 趙朴初, and Fāng Zǐfān 方子藩 organized a group to revive the press. They gathered and brought to Nanjing roughly 50,000 woodblocks from the Tiānjīn Scriptural Press 天津經刻處, Běijīng Scriptural Press 北京經刻處, the Three Times Study Association 三時學會, and the Jiāngběi Scriptural Press 江北經刻處. In 1957, the press was taken over by the Chinese Buddhist Association 中國佛家協會. At this point the press held approximately 150,000 woodblocks.[1]
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