Amity Printing Press prints around 25 million books a year – of which 20 million are bibles!
In a formally atheistic country, known for its’ recent clamping downs on monotheistic religions (Islam as well as Christian), the bibles are distributed globally by over 40,000 small-scale agents.
Stories of Western ‘bible smugglers’ entering into China are still circulating. Yet also fascinating to hear how China’s Belt and Road Initiative is now giving rise to China looking to invest in a bible printing press in Africa.
The 85,000 sqm plant is an interesting assortment of machinery and clearly shows the evolution of the printing industry over the past hundred years. Whilst some state-of-the-art gear is present, much has been donated or purchased from run-down plants in developed countries. The floor is still highly manual, with pales still using tickets, and thumb indexes literally being hand-made.
The background story of Amity Printing Press is very unusual. It showcases China’s political and social developments, alongside a transformational industry and market change.
If you would like to visit Amity Printing Press, or other companies in China, please connect with Outlander Consulting via info@outlanderconsulting.com