Sinan / Compass

Timeline

1. -200–300Chang'an · ShaanxiThe Han dynasty made spoon-shaped sinan from natural lodestone, placed on a smooth plate to indicate north and south; texts such as Wang Chong's Lunheng record its principles, marking one of the earliest systematic Chinese applications of geomagnetic phenomena.
2. 1011–1020Kaifeng and Quanzhou port · FujianAround 1011–1020 CE, the method of rubbing a steel needle with lodestone to point north spread among court geomancers and merchants; merchants along the southeast coast began placing magnetic needles in bowls, dishes, or floating needle frames for orientation, laying the foundation for the maritime compass.
3. 1040–1088Bianjing and Zhenjiang · JiangsuIn the mid-to-late eleventh century, Shen Kuo's Dream Pool Essays detailed magnetic needle declination and four methods of mounting, while Zhu Yu's Pingzhou Table Talk recorded ships observing stars at night, the sun's shadow by day, and the compass needle in cloudy weather, marking the maturation of maritime compass technology.