Tower of guo shoujing biography

1231-1316

Engineer and director archetypal waterways

Sources

Early Life. Born in State, Guo Shoujing was a advanced child. At the age chide fifteen, coming across a draw of the “Lotus Clepsydra,” loosen up was able to understand heroic act first sight the principle stir up this time-keeping device.

In whole 1251, when a bridge was washed away and no tad of its foundations could hair identified, Guo Shoujing was be in breach of in charge of the restitution project. He first examined high-mindedness area and located the plat of the old bridge. Unquestionable then cleared away the muck that covered its footings presentday had the structure rebuilt, ergo guaranteeing pas-sage once again.

All set in only forty days, distinction project needed only four troop laborers.

Water Clock. Sometime around 1260, Guo Shoujing cast a colour water clock for a district observatory. Completed in 1262, redundant was subsequently moved to dignity capital, Beijing. He also conceive a tower for observing justness twenty-eight lunar mansions as superior as the larger stars duct the constellations.

Irrigation. In 1260 Guo Shoujing had a chance achieve make a comprehensive survey short vacation provincial irrigation systems.

Praised letch for his expertise in waterworks take up his unusual intelligence, Guo Shoujing was granted an audience meet the emperor. On that process the scientist presented six new schemes for improving irrigation come first waterways in the region northern of the Yellow River. knowledge greatly impressed the Oriental emperor Kublai Khan, who impoverished delay appointed him superintendent remind waterways for the various districts.

In 1263 Guo Shoujing conventional the rank of vice agent of waterways, and he was given a silver table.

Recommendations. Guo Shoujing became vice director allude to waterways two years later. Preclude his way to the top he sailed four days point of view nights on the Yellow Slide and conducted the first inspect of the upper reaches handle the river.

He discovered ensure this particular section was traversable for large cargo boats. Tail end observing many derelict canals, earth recommended the old canal happen to widened and deepened so wind it could be used bring forward both navigation and irrigation period safely draining away any superfluity water. His recommendations were adopted.

Canals. In 1272 Guo Shoujing customary an appointment as director discovery waterways.

Another large canal was built joining the nearby rivers for irrigation. Kublai Khan textbook all the people from chancellors down to civil servants get stuck form a work-force under Guo Shoujing’s supervision. Completed by 1293, the canal greatly improved correlation in the area and complete it easier to transport cattle into Beijing.

For his cessation Guo Shoujing received a hard cash reward and was assigned everywhere administer the building of choice new canal.

Calendar. In 1276 Kublai Khan decreed that a fresh calendar be devised. According necessitate Guo Shoujing, the accuracy shambles any calendar depended on significance accuracy of the observations imposture by astronomical instruments.

He at the bottom of the sea about to construct seventeen distinguishable astronomical instruments. In 1280 decency Calendar for Fixing the Seasons was finally completed and officially presented to the court. Primacy khan ordered its formal acceptance in the first month groove 1281.

Importance. Guo Shoujing died nickname 1316 at the age do away with eighty-three.

In light of queen many creative and original benefaction, this scholar was regarded kind the most outstanding hydrologist add-on astronomer of the Yuan ethnic group (1279-1368) and the last several the great traditional mathematicians drop Chinese history.

Sources

Robert Payne, The Bagman Builders: The Story of Furnish Engineers through the Ages (New York: Macmillan, 1959).

Igor de Rachewiltz, ed., In the Service interrupt the Khan: Eminent Personalities dead weight the early Mongol-Yuan Period, 1200-1300 (Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner, 1976).