Chinese inventions: Zhĭ nán zhēn, "the south-pointer"

Legend has it, that to reach the palace of China's first Emperor Qin Shihuang, a person had to walk through a gateway comprised of two metallic, magnetic doors. The magnets helped to ensure that the visitor was not carrying swords or daggers concealed under his clothing. This, the forerunner of modern-day security checks, was first used around 200 BCE and serves as a clear indication of the extent to which the emperor feared for his life as well as of the broad knowledge that Chinese scientists had gathered of magnetic phenomena in those times.

The oldest preserved Chinese compasses date from the Warring States Period (475 – 221 BCE). They consist of a flat base to which a small spoon-shaped compass-needle made of magnetic ore is mounted and which aligns itself on the north-south axis. These kinds of compasses were called zhĭ nán zhēn (指 南 针), translated as "south-pointers." In ancient times, compasses were primarily used in the countryside by feng shui masters instead of as general navigational tools. Feng shui is an environmental science, which aims to establish harmony between man and the surrounding environment. According to its principles, the cardinal compass directions influence every part of our lives, including how we sleep and how healthy and successful we are. A special compass called the luópán (罗 盘), has been developed to help feng shui masters in their work. The tool has a number of additional features, including information related to the five elements and astrology.

Another compass which proved itself very useful was a fish-shaped device invented in the Song Dynasty (960 – 1129). It was comprised of a wooden fish-shaped object which contained a magnetic particle. When the "fish" was placed in a container full of water, it floated and turned to point towards the south. The same principle was used to make compasses in the shape of turtles, which could also be placed in water or on a specially designed platform. Fish and turtle compasses were also used by the army, as it was crucial that troops stay on track and not lose their way.

During the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), a true renaissance figure by the name of Shen Kuo (1031-1095) from Zhenjiang Province, developed a compass for maritime use. Shen Kuo was a general genius in the domains of art and science, who mastered the principles of astronomy, literature, physics, chemistry, geology, astrology, calendars, meteorology, as well as medicine. He had a diversified career in the military, as head of finances and as the director of the imperial observatory. After he felt he had seen and experienced enough, he retired into seclusion and compiled his entire wisdom into a book entitled Mèng xī bĭ tán (梦 溪 笔 谈), “The Dream Pool Essays .” It is still regarded as one of the major scientific works of China's classical period and has been translated into many languages.

Shen Kuo improved on the existing compasses and developed new methods to build more reliable and accurate orientation devices. He was also the first one to come up with the concept of true north, which was a particularly beneficial discovery for seafarers. The development of the compass was followed, as we all know, by a surge in inter-continental travel. The Chinese were also actively exploring the globe with their own fleets, and the sea-routes established following these compass-guided adventures were called zhēn lù, (针 路), meaning “needle routes.”

It has been suspected, that the initial knowledge that the Europeans gathered about compasses may also have been of Chinese origin. However, the Chinese version of the compass underwent vast improvements in terms of the way the needle was attached to the base once it reached Europe. These improvements made navigation even more accurate, which subsequently encouraged people to embark on journeys to discover new far-away places, all the way to the New World -- although a heated debate continues to rage over the question of who the first people to discover America were after all.