The Guinness Book of World Records has long listed the world’s largest book, and it is a tome unlike any other. Spanning an impressive 9.25 metres long and 6.4 metres wide, it contains an incredible 32,950 pages, making it the biggest book in the world.
The book is a compilation of a collection of Buddhist scriptures known as the Tripitaka Koreana, which were originally written in a Korean script known as Hanja between 1237 and 1248. It is a collection of over 5,000 volumes, each of which is made up of woodblocks carved with text. The woodblocks were created using a meticulous process of hand carving and block printing, and the entire collection was inscribed on 81,258 wooden blocks.
The Tripitaka Koreana is currently housed at the Haeinsa Temple in South Korea and was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World register in 2007. It is considered a significant cultural and religious artefact and is highly respected within the Buddhist faith. It is the only surviving complete version of the Tripitaka, and it is the oldest and most comprehensive collection of Buddhist literature in the world.
The Tripitaka Koreana is not just the world’s largest book, but it is also the world’s oldest surviving woodblock print book. It is composed of 80,000 woodblocks and weighs a total of 5.8 tons. Each woodblock is made from birch wood, and each book is bound in red silk. Each book has a title page and table of contents written in gold ink.
The Tripitaka Koreana is an incredible feat of engineering and craftsmanship, and its immense size and complexity puts it in a class of its own. It is a testament to the skill and dedication of the artisans who created it, and it stands as one of the world’s most impressive and unique books.
