when were the confucian classics first implemented by the chinese government
Imperial examination In 681, a written test on knowledge of the Confucian classics was introduced, meaning that candidates were required to memorize these works and fill in the blanks on the test.[22]
History of books The first printing of books started in China and was during the Tang Dynasty (618â€“907), but exactly when is not known.[3] The oldest extant printed book is a Tang Dynasty work of the Diamond Sutra and dates back to 868.[3] When the Italian Catholic missionary Matteo Ricci visited Ming China, he wrote that there were "exceedingly large numbers of books in circulation" and noted that they were sold at very low prices.[4]