Su Song

Su Song (1020–1101) was a Song dynasty statesman, astronomer, and engineer. He led the construction of a monumental astronomical clock tower powered by a water-driven mechanism.

Water clock: A timekeeping device that measures the regulated flow of water. Water powered the clock tower’s mechanisms and drove its timekeeping cycle.
New Instrument Design: A treatise by Su Song describing astronomical instruments and the clock tower he commissioned. It is the principal written source for the tower’s design and operation.
Han Gonglian: A Song dynasty official and engineer associated with the design of Su Song’s astronomical clock tower. He collaborated with Su Song on the tower’s engineering.
Chinese mechanical engineering: The design and construction of machines in China across its historical periods. Su Song’s tower is a major example of premodern Chinese mechanical engineering.
Armillary sphere: A model of the celestial sphere built from rings representing circles such as the equator and ecliptic. Su Song’s tower incorporated an armillary sphere for representing the heavens.
Clock Tower of Kaifeng: A multi-storey Song dynasty structure combining a water-powered clock with astronomical instruments. This is the tower Su Song led his team in building.
Emperor Zhezong of Song: The seventh emperor of the Song dynasty, reigning from 1085 to 1100. The clock tower was completed and presented to the Song court during his reign.
History of clockmaking: The historical development of devices that measure and indicate time. The tower stands among early complex mechanisms built to automate time display.
Escapement: A mechanism that regulates a clock’s movement by releasing energy in controlled increments. The tower’s waterwheel advanced through a form of escapement that paced its display.
Kaifeng: A city in Henan that served as the capital of the Northern Song dynasty. The astronomical clock tower stood in the Northern Song capital.

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List of Chinese star namesRelated: His era’s instruments and records continued the traditions represented by the catalog.