The world's earliest dated printed book (868)

The Diamond Sutra (Sk. Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra; Ch. Jin gang bo re bo luo mi jing) housed at the British Library (Or.8210/P.2) is the world's earliest printed book, dated 868.

The book was found in the Mogao Caves located near Dunhuang. It is a horizontal roll of approximately 5 metres in length. Each section was printed separately and various panel were joined together to form a long strip of paper. The colophon of this book provides information re: the person who commissioned the production of this object.

See Edgren, J.S., "The history of the book in China." In The book: a global history, Suarez, M.F. & Woudhuysen, H.R. Eds.,  Oxford: Oxford University Press, 573-92.