Xu Xiake
Informal essay and travel writing was another highlight. Xu Xiake (1587–1641), a travel literature author, published his "Travel Diaries" in 404,000 written characters, with information on everything from local geography to mineralogy. The first reference to the publishing of private newspapers in Beijing was in 1582; by 1638 the "Peking Gazette" switched from using woodblock print to movable type printing. The new literary field of the moral guide to business ethics was developed during the late Ming period, for the readership of the merchant class.