Lu Ban

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Lu Ban (fl. 5th century BC) was a Chinese carpenter, philosopher, military thinker, stateman and contemporary of Mozi, born in the State of Lu.

His real name was Gongshu Ban also known as the Master Gongshu (Gongshuzi), because he was from the State of Lu, he was most commonly referred to as Lu Ban from records. Lu Ban is well notable for his achievements after his subject to the State of Chu.

According to the tradition, he was responsible for several inventions as seen on Mozi chapter 49 and 50:

• Cloud ladder — a mobile counterweighted siege ladder.
• Grappling hooks and ram — boat implements used during on a naval warfare.
• Wooden bird — a non-powered flying wooden bird which could stay in the air for three days, and had been suggested to be a proto-kite.

There were also others inventions that contributed to him, such as lifting implement for burial, wooden horse carriage and coachman, and some other woodworking that can be see from various texts which thereafter led Lu Ban to be acknowledged as the master craftsman:

• The Book of Lineages (世本), written in about 3rd century BC.
• The Tales of the Marvellous (述异记), written in about 5th century by Ren Fang.
• The Records of Origin on Things and Affairs (事物纪原), written in about 11th century by Gao Cheng.
• The Origin on Things (物原), written in about 15th century by Luo Qi.
• The Treatise of Lu Ban (鲁班经), an attributed texts to Lu Ban written between 13th to 15th century.

Though impossible to authenticate, some legend had even attributed the building of the Zhaozhou Bridge to him.

Footnotes

References

• Du Shiran et al (1992). Biographies of Ancient Chinese Scientists Series One: Lu Ban. Beijing: Kexue Chubanshe. ISBN 7-03-002926-7.
• Wang Fu et al (1994). Records of Lu Ban: China's Earliest Inventor — Lu Ban. Beijing: Zhongguo Kexue Jishu Chubanshe. ISBN 7-5046-1676-1.
• Li Shaoyuan; Zhao Beizhi et al (1996). Stories of Chinese Scientist and Inventors. Beijing: Jindun Publishing House. ISBN 7-5082-0168-X.
• Yu Xuecai; Li Chunfu "Gongshu Ban, No. 22 Monograph in Research Library of Chinese Architectural Culture". Huazhong Architecture Bimonthly. .

External links

• A Restoration of Lu-Ban's Wooden Horse Carriage (PDF)
• Mozi - Mei translation

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Last updated on Friday March 07, 2008 at 01:45:51 PST (GMT -0800)
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