Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court
archives to the mature
vernacular fiction novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese. The introduction of widespread
woodblock printing during the
Tang Dynasty (618–907) and the invention of
movable type printing by
Bi Sheng (990–1051) during the
Song Dynasty (960–1279) rapidly spread written knowledge throughout China. In more modern times, the author
Lu Xun (1881–1936) is considered the founder of
baihua literature in China.