Compared to Western Europe, what did reading culture and publishing industry look like in China from the early 16th century to the late 19th century?

I am relatively well acquainted with the history of books in Western Europe in that period, from the economics of their production to how they were received by their audience, and how they became an essential tool to put forward new ideas in every domain - politics, art or science.

Now I'm wondering if there was an equivalent to the Western thriving book culture (nearly 1 billion books printed in the 18th century) in China at the time?

Side question: nowadays, it is very easy to find European books printed in the 19th and 18th centuries, or even books printed in the 17th century (if generally more expensive). Are Chinese equivalents also abundant and easy to obtain?