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Tuesday, October 25

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

My chariot was invented before the Great Wall was built!
I wanted to show you something in honor of Grandmomma's 70th birthday today.

Something she found for me!

It's a working scale model of a Chinese south-pointing chariot: a directional compass vehicle which had no magnetic function,
yet its dragon finial would point in any direction to which it is initially oriented

Invented in 225 A.D. by mechanical engineer Ma Jun during the Three Kingdoms period, it is considered by antiquarians as one of Ancient China's most complex inventions. No known ancient chariots remain, but many Chinese texts mention them.

Is that cool or what?!

Happy 70th birthday Lao Lao! Xie xie!

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