Founded in 1866 during the Tongzhi era of the Qing dynasty, the Jinling Scriptural Press (金陵刻经处) is the oldest Buddhist woodblock printing institution in modern China. Renowned at home and abroad by the late Qing period, it was the first privately established organization to integrate the collection, carving, printing, circulation, and study of Buddhist scriptures. The Press became famous for what came to be known as the “Jinling Edition”: precisely selected texts, rigorous proofreading, elegant layouts, and refined paper and craftsmanship.
The Press, located in central Nanjing, today preserves 125,318 carved woodblocks and 18 sets of Buddhist image plates—the largest repository of carved Chinese Buddhist canon plates in the world. It remains the only institution dedicated to traditional Chinese woodblock carving and ink printing of Buddhist texts, a cultural treasure recognized by both China and the international community. Its woodblock printing techniques were inscribed on China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2006 and included in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
The Press was founded by Yang Renshan (1837–1911), a visionary lay Buddhist leader who played a central role in the modern revival of Chinese Buddhism. Drawing on the Press as his foundation, Yang promoted Buddhist education, introduced new scholarly methods from Europe, and cultivated a generation of Buddhist thinkers who shaped the faith both in China and globally. Notably, he was also the grandfather of Yang Buwei (1889–1981)—China’s first female Western-trained physician and a celebrated writer—whose ashes rest at the Press, symbolizing a family legacy of learning and cultural engagement that spans continents.
Today, the tradition of Jinling’s woodblock printing has continued across eight generations of artisans.
In this lecture, Ms. Deng will introduce the rich history of the Jinling Scriptural Press, its architectural and cultural legacy, its role in the modern development of Chinese Buddhism, and the artistic and technical foundations of the famed “Jinling Edition.” She will also share her personal journey as a guardian of one of China’s most precious traditional crafts.
This event offers a rare opportunity to explore a living heritage that bridges religion, art, scholarship, and cultural memory.
金陵刻经处创建于清同治五年（1866年），作为我国刻印流通木版佛经的机构，清朝末年即在国内外享有盛誉。它是全国最早成立的刻经处，也是近代中国第一家由私人创办的融经书收藏、雕刻、印刷、流通及研究于一体的佛经出版机构。金陵刻经处刻印的经书，以选本精严、内容纯正、校勘严谨、版式疏朗、字大悦目、纸料讲究著称，在近代享有很高的声誉，各方特称“金陵本”。
华美人文学会于美东时间2025年12月6日晚8时至9时半（北京时间12月7日上午9时至10时半）特邀金陵刻经印刷技艺传承人邓清之女士做《经典留存 传之万世–金陵刻经处与“金陵本”》专题讲座，介绍金陵刻经处的前世今生与印刷技术。金陵刻经处位于南京市中心淮海路，一座占地面积不大的清末建筑伫于高楼林立之间。匾额为近代著名佛教学者欧阳竟无所书，浓浓的古意，令人向往。
金陵刻经处是传播中国佛教文化的重要高地。这里一共收藏了125,318块经版、18种佛像雕版，是世界上规模最大收藏汉文木刻经版、中国佛典图像刻版的宝库，也是蜚声海内外的中国木版雕刻、水墨印刷汉文佛教经典的唯一机构。
金陵刻经处的创始人，是我国清末佛教复兴的奠基人杨文会。杨文会（1837-1911），字仁山，安徽石埭县人。杨仁山居士以金陵刻经为基础，率先倡导佛教教育，引进欧洲学者研究佛学的新方法，为中国佛教乃至世界佛教复兴培养人才。其刻经立义高远，所刻经典足以“传之万世”。
值得一提的是，杨仁山居士也是著名语言学家赵元任夫人杨步伟的祖父。杨步伟女士（1889-1981）是中国第一位女性西医、著名作家，她与祖父一样具有开创精神和国际视野。杨步伟女士逝世后，其骨灰安葬于金陵刻经处，与这片佛教圣地结下了跨越时空的因缘。
杨仁山居士有着强烈的爱国热情，具备世界胸怀，具有前瞻性，堪称近代佛教的先觉者与引领者。1879年，他在给日本佛教学者南条文雄的信中表明自己的崇高志愿：“潜心净域十余年，愿持迦文遗教，阐扬于泰西诸国。”在他的弘法事业中，首先成立刻经处，整理刊刻佛教典籍；然后创办祗洹精舍、佛学研究会，提倡佛学研究、培养佛教人才；并与外国佛教徒相约复兴佛教事业，实行国际文化交流。在推进中国思想文化界研究并重视佛学以振兴佛教、开启世界佛教运动等方面，都作出了重要的贡献。
金陵刻经处内流传至今的金陵刻经印刷技艺，已经历经八代的传承人。水印木刻雕版的佛教经典：立义高、涵盖广、编校精、雕刻美，为近现代中国佛教的复兴提供了法本依据，堪称善本，被社会各界人士赞为“金陵本”。2006年金陵刻经印刷技艺被列为国家级非物质文化遗产，2009年被联合国教科文教组织纳入人类非物质文化遗产名录。
金陵刻经处对于我国佛教近代史的发展具有许多开创性的意义，不仅为第一个佛教文化出版社，还进而衍生出第一个高等僧教育机构（祗洹精舍）；第一个以居士为主体的佛学学术团体（佛学研究会）；最早的佛学刊物（佛学丛报）。从出版、教育、研究到创办佛学刊物，金陵刻经处对于近代佛教义学的昌明，都起到了至关重要的引领作用。
