Song Dynasty Dragon-Bone Waterwheel

Timeline

1. c. 1000–1127Kaifeng–Bian River corridor · Central PlainsIn the Northern Song, dragon-bone waterwheel designs became increasingly standardized, recorded in agricultural treatises and local gazetteers, used for lifting water along ponds and canals.
2. 1181–1190Liangzhe Circuit and Jiangnan East Circuit · Liangzhe CircuitIn the 1180s, Southern Song Jiangnan saw intensive development of polder and low fields; the dragon-bone waterwheel became a standard lifting tool for farmers and polder heads, operating alongside stone weirs and sluice gates.
3. c. 1300–1600Southern China and Southeast Asia · South ChinaDuring the Yuan and Ming, the dragon-bone waterwheel spread to South China and overseas Chinese communities; bucket materials and drive methods (treadle, animal power) further diversified.