CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- The book T'ien-kung k'ai-wu (Chinese Technology in the Seventeenth Century) written by Song Yingxing, scientist in the Ming Dynasty, records many ancient Chinese "high technologies", such as the water-power blast blower in the Han Dynasty, the tool with nine mills driven by water, and the tool with eight mills driven by one cattle... They are the witnesses of ancient people using wind energy, water energy, and livestock to carry out productions such as grinding flour, getting water, and ploughing. The first tool with nine mills driven by water in T'ien-kung k'ai-wu was made in a 1:1 ratio by Changshou Lake in Chongqing at the end of 2023, which is the lifelong wish that has finally come true for 77-year-old for Tang Jialu.

Supported by Chongqing Changshou Rural Construction Group Co., Ltd., Tang Jialu's base was built by the Changshou Lake. He and his team restored some ancient Chinese technological artifacts such as the blast blower in Han Dynasty, the tool with nine mills driven by water, the tool with eight mills driven by one cattle, water-powered trip-hammer with 12 heads, and cereals processing machines in the Jin Dynasty in a 1:1 ratio.

Drawing a blueprint is the first step. The records in this ancient book are not complete, and the dimensions of many tools need to be repeatedly calculated and tested, and the dimension error must be controlled within 0.2 millimeters.

Although he is nearly 80 years old, Tang Jiangsu's woodworking is as good as young people. His assistants marveled at his vitality. He never takes a vacation, and he even persists in working at the base during the Spring Festival holiday.

Tang Jialu has collected over 200 drawings of tools. Currently, his team has made total of 62 models. It is his wish to restore them all in a 1:1 ratio.

Speaking of this vertical shaft windmill in the Song Dynasty, Tang Jialu was very proud: "Compared to the Dutch windmills that are constrained by the wind direction, our windmill is more powerful. No matter which direction the wind comes from, it can drive four stone mills to grind the flour".

The world's earliest blast blower (Shuipai) was invented in the Han Dynasty and used in casting and smelting. It saves manpower and animal power, greatly advancing the development of the metallurgical industry, and promoted the progress of human society.

The tool with nine mills driven by water is the crystallization of the wisdom of the laboring people of the Han Dynasty. It uses water power to drive 9 mills to operate at the same time to process grain, and has very high requirements for the terrain of installation. "It should be installed in a place with a height difference of 6 meters". Tang Jialu and his assistants spent over one month making an tool with nine mills driven by water in a 1:1 ratio, and spent another one month finishing the installation.

The size of the main axis is not recorded in the ancient book, and only the closure of the two arms is mentioned. Through calculation and tests, Tang Jialu produced the result that the diameter is 45-50cm and calculated the size of the stone grind and the distance between the wooden teeth.

The main shaft in front of us needs to drive a large wheel with a diameter of 12m. The whole tool is composed of a total of 1,454 pieces of wood.

Open the gate! As a continuous stream of water is drawn, the wheels start to rotate.

As the stone mills rotate, the agricultural production scene over 2,000 years ago appeared before us at this moment.

"Let the world see the wisdom of our ancestors! The science and technology of China is the most powerful!” Whenever talking about ancient Chinese "high technologies", Tang Jialu is full of pride. (Translated by Hu Chuanmin, Fathom Language Limited)