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Water Compass

Type Object Region China Time c. 1088

The water compass, a Song navigation device placing a magnetic needle in water to indicate direction steadily, became standard equipment on Southern …

Timeline

  1. c. 1088–1127Bianjing · HenanNorthern Song Shen Kuo's Dream Pool Essays recorded that rubbing a steel needle with lodestone makes it point south, and mentioned the water-floating method to stabilize the needle; diviners and geomancers used compasses for direction, laying theoretical and instrumental foundations for maritime use.
  2. c. 1171–1180Quanzhou port · FujianWith flourishing Southern Song maritime trade, ships needed stable direction-finding in wind and waves; pilots placed the needle in a water bowl or dedicated compass mount, forming the water compass, used alongside star and sun observation as the core means of ocean navigation.
  3. c. 1119–1200Lingnan coast · GuangdongZhu Yu's Pingzhou Ketch recorded pilots navigating by compass; later works like the Illustrated Account of an Embassy to Korea Also described compass use on ships. The water compass spread along the Maritime Silk Road, influencing later compass-course records and chart compilation.

Sources