What is the history of mechanical invention and creation in ancient China?

In the 5,000-year history of civilization of the Chinese nation, the inventions and creations of the ancient Chinese working people in the field of mechanical engineering are particularly outstanding.

Most inventions and creations are derived from the needs of survival, life and production. Some inventions and creations are the needs of war, and some inventions and creations are for the needs of exploring science and technology.

Half a million years ago, Chinese ape-men learned to make sharp, wedge-shaped stone tools.

At the Zhoukoudian Hominid Site in my country, stone tools with blade angles of 60° to 75° were found for cutting.

Two hundred thousand years ago, the hominins living in Ziyang, Sichuan, my country learned to make bone needles, bone awls and other bone tools.

Fifteen thousand years ago, ancient humans learned to make complex-shaped instruments out of bones, horns, teeth, clam shells, etc., and learned grinding techniques.

Five thousand years ago, ancient humans entered the Neolithic Age.

In the Banpo site in Xi'an, a large number of important bone tools with high manufacturing technology were discovered.

Four thousand years ago, ancient humans discovered metal and learned smelting techniques.

Our country has entered the metal age.

Soon, bronzeware composed of copper-tin alloy was invented.

Metal instruments gradually replaced stone and bone instruments.

Two thousand years ago, iron metal was discovered and smelting and manufacturing techniques were mastered.

As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, our country had entered the Iron Age.

Various complex tools and simple machines were invented one after another, and mechanical engineering developed rapidly in our country.

From the evolution process of inventions and creations in ancient my country, we can know that any kind of mechanical invention has gone through a process of gradual improvement and development from rough to fine.

For example, the machinery for processing grains (Figure 2-2) initially places the grains on a large stone, rubs them back and forth with a smaller stone, and then blows off the bran to obtain rice; the second step

The pestle and mortar were invented; the third step was to invent the foot-operated hammer, which used part of the human body's gravity to work; the fourth step was to invent the mill and grinding machine that used human and animal power; the fifth step was to invent the grinding and grinding machine that used wind and water power to work.

This not only enables continuous work, saves manpower and improves efficiency, but also learns to use natural forces and completes the evolution process from tools to machinery.

Figure 2-2 The evolution of grain processing tools. In the field of weapons, it developed from slingshots to bows and arrows, and then to crossbows. After the invention of gunpowder, human-powered bows and arrows developed into rockets, until they developed into wrinkle-shaped missiles and wrinkle-shaped missiles.

level rocket.

There are a large number of actual combat records in these ancient wars in my country.

The invention, use and development of machinery in ancient my country were far ahead of the world level.

However, due to long-term feudal rule, the development of productivity and science and technology was restricted.

In the past four to five hundred years, my country's development in the field of mechanical engineering has lagged behind Western powers.

After the founding of New China, in just a dozen years, our people developed the machinery industry, which could only do a small amount of repair and assembly work, into a machinery industry capable of producing automobiles, trains, ships, metal cutting machine tools, large generators and many other mechanical equipment.

China's machinery industry, especially since the reform and opening up, has developed more rapidly. The gap with developed countries is narrowing, and some products have led the world.

In the past thousands of years, the Chinese nation has made extremely brilliant achievements in invention and creation in the field of mechanical engineering.

Not only were the inventions numerous in quantity, but they were also of high quality, and they were also invented early.

Our past history is glorious.

In order to make the Chinese nation glorious again, our tasks are also arduous.

In the past years, the invention and use of machinery have prospered human society and promoted the development of human civilization.

Today, with the rapid development of high technology, there are more types of machinery and more advanced functions.

A large number of advanced and high-tech machinery such as manipulators, robots, intelligent machinery that integrates machinery, light, electricity, and fluids, office automation machinery, etc. are changing human life and work.

I hope that young people who are interested in mechanical engineering will inherit the glorious traditions of our ancestors, invent and create more and better new machinery, and strive to build our country into a great socialist power.

In addition to the four well-known inventions of papermaking, printing, the compass, and gunpowder, ancient Chinese inventions and creations in the field of mechanical engineering were also very brilliant.

Since ancient China had been in a feudal society for a long time, the development of science and technology was relatively slow.

Before the Qin and Han Dynasties, more emphasis was placed on various inventions and creations, and more achievements were made during this period.

According to the "Zhou Li Kao Gong" records: The wise create things, the skillful describe them, and the people who guard them are called works. All the works are the work of the saints.

But there are also different opinions.

"Laozi" says: If the people have many sharp weapons, the country will become weak.

With many people and skills, strange things arise.

The greatest skill is discarded, and there are no thieves.

Since the Qin and Han dynasties, except for inventions that are beneficial to agricultural production, other inventions have generally been looked down upon, or even punished for inventions and creations.

According to Volume 25 of "History of the Ming Dynasty", during the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, Si Tianjian entered a crystal carving with two puppets in it, which could play drums and drums on time.

Taizu broke it because it was useless.

The prejudice of the rulers greatly affected the development of the creative ability of the ancient working people.

In addition, ancient my country did not pay attention to the drawing work of invented devices. Many inventions and creations are difficult to understand without the help of drawings.

Those who actually made inventions or creations did not know how to record them in writing, or did not record them because society did not pay attention to them. These all affected the progress of science and technology in ancient my country.

Despite this, my country's ancient science and technology is still ahead of the world, and it is worthy of the title of a great ancient civilization.

The following is a brief description of my country's typical inventions in each period.