ancient engineering, china flooding, dujiangyan, flood control, irrigation, sichuan

The Dujiangyan Irrigation System, a Masterpiece of Hydraulic Engineering

There has been frequent flooding in mainland China recently, causing chaos everywhere. This makes us think of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System on the Western Sichuan Plain, which has been turning frequent flood damage into abundance and prosperity for the local people for more than 2,000 years. It is the longest-lasting hydraulic engineering project in history ...

Mikel Davis

The Fish Mouth Levee that splits the Ming River in two in Sichuan, China.

The Beauty and Engineering Feats of Chinese Bridges Will Astound You

Book Review: Chinese Bridges, Living Architecture from China’s Past Architects and engineers alike marvel at the astounding feats perfected by the master builders of Chinese bridges from centuries past, making many modern bridges pale in comparison. These bridge builders had many more things in mind than just getting people from one place to another. They didn’t ...

John Andress

The composition of Wuting Bridge, or Five Pavillions Bridge, is unrivaled in China. It is formally called the Lianhua, or Lotus Flower Bridge, because of its resemblance to the open spreading petals of the lotus flower.

Amazing Ancient Anti-Gravity Jars From India

What if you filled a jar with water, flipped it over, and the water didn’t spill out? Anti-gravity jars with such seemingly “magical” capabilities were created in India about 300 years ago, displaying how well people of those times used basic scientific concepts to create some mind-blowing things. Anti-gravity jars One of the anti-gravity jars ...

Nspirement Staff

An Indian anti-gravity jar.

Mechanical Water Toys

Modern people believe living conditions in ancient times were very primitive. However, ancient Chinese science and technology was quite advanced. Papermaking, gunpowder, and the compass were all invented in China. Stories of other incredible inventions have been passed down to the present day, even mechanical water toys, though the mechanisms they describe have long been ...

Armin Auctor