First of all, planting was invented and agricultural tools were developed. The Book of Changes says, "If the Bao family doesn't build it, the farmer will build it, and the wood will be broken, which will help teach the world ..." And "Feeling of falling balance is empty" says, "Shennong scratched the wood for thunder and taught people to plow the fields." "Baihutong No.1" also said: "So Shennong made use of time and place to make it, taught the people to plow, turned it into a god, and made it suitable for the people." The former edition of Zi Zhi Tong Jian also said: "Emperor Yan is in harmony with the people because of the right time and the right place, and the firewood is broken. "Thunder and ploughing are both wooden tools for digging, and they are the most important tools for our ancestors to engage in agricultural production at that time. In a primitive society with a low level of productivity, Shennong's improvement of production tools will inevitably have a great impetus to productivity, and China's primitive agriculture will gradually develop. " "Guoyu Luyu" said: "Once upon a time, there was a world in Shanshi Lie, and its son Rizhu could cultivate hundreds of crops and vegetables. "
"Guanzi Situation Solution" said: "Shennong teaches plowing the valley to benefit the people." The same book "Light and Heavy" said: "Shennong works, and the tree is the day of the mountain. Kyushu people know food and eat it. " "Huai Nan Zi Xiu Wu Xun" also said: "So Shennong began to teach the people to sow grains, which should be suitable for dry land, wet and fat." Although the ancient books did not specify the specific names of these crops and vegetables, there is no doubt that there were artificially cultivated rice and vegetables in Shennong period.
The second is to make pottery and textiles. In the history of human development, planting crops artificially and inventing pottery are the two most important creations in primitive society, and they are also the basis for human beings to move from primitive barbarism to civilization. Yizhoushu said: "When Shennong was in his heyday, ... he was a man with ulterior motives." "Taiping Magnolia" quoted Yizhoushu as saying: "God cultivates and makes pottery." This is an earlier pottery-making record found in ancient books. Zhuangzi Stolen Plants: "The world of Shennong, ... farming and eating, weaving and clothes." "Lushi Chunqiu Love Class" says: "Shennong Education Day:' The scholar didn't plow that year, and the world was hungry; When women didn't knit, the world became cold. "Therefore, the body is close to the agriculture and the wife is close to weaving, so it is also beneficial to the people." Although this is useful for later generations to attach the symbol of ancient economic life to the economic life of men and women, it reflects that some factors in the textile industry have been developed at that time.
Third, medicine, edible salt and the first piano were invented. According to legend, in order to relieve people's suffering caused by diseases and injuries, Emperor Yan Shennong went deep into Shan Ye to taste the nature and taste of various plants, thus inventing the method of treating diseases and injuries with herbs. "Shi Ben Zuo" said: "Shennong and medicine help people." "Historical Records of Huang San" also said: "Shennong ... began to taste herbs and got medicine." The invention of salt plays a very important role in improving the nutritional structure and enhancing human physique. "Shiben Zuo Zuo" said: "Su Sha is used to cook salt." "Huai Nan Zi Dao Ying Xun" said: "In the past, Su Sha officials attacked their kings and returned to Shennong." Therefore, it was Susha people, a subordinate of Yan Di Shennong, who initiated the cooking of salt. Zuo Zuo, a Book of Poetry, said: "Shennong plays the piano, Shennong plays the piano." Huan Tan's "New Theory" said that Shennong "began to cut the tung into a piano, with a rope as the string, connecting God's virtue with the sum of heaven and earth." There is another cloud: "The seven strings of Shennong are enough to understand everything and study chaos." Yang Xiong praised: "In those days, Shennong's piano was centered, and it was against his innocence to ban prostitution and eliminate evil desires."
Fourth, the concept of geography began, and primitive astronomy and calendar were founded. According to legend, Emperor Yan Shennong made a calendar day, which is a solar term, judging the cold and heat, and setting it as eight festivals to govern agricultural work. A Mirror says that Yan Di Shennong "takes fire as the king, so he takes fire discipline and officials as the fire master. Spring official is a fire, summer official is a quail fire, Qiu Guan is a west fire, winter official is a north fire, and middle official is a middle fire ". This is the so-called "observing the image and giving time" in the astronomical calendar. It shows that the ancestors of Shennong tribe in Yan Di paid attention to the relationship between "fire" and seasons in their long-term production practice, and used their astronomical knowledge to guide agricultural production. Emperor Yan Shennong developed the concept of region, established the terrain, and screened and inspected the position of the world. "Imperial Century" said: "Heaven and earth are made by themselves, and there is no boundary. Huang San is still alive, and the philosophers said,' Shennong has the world, with 90 Wan Li in the east and 95 Wan Li in the south.' "
Fifth, it is the first market and the first trade. Historical Records of Huang San said: "Emperor Yan Shennong ... taught people to make a market in Japan and retreat after trading." This is exactly what the Book of Changes said: "The work of Shennong ... is a market in Japan, collecting goods from the people all over the world, retreating after trading, getting what they want and hiding what they eat." Confucius' Theory of Justice said: "Japan and China are the market, and the goods in the world are aggregated. After the transaction is completed, retreat, each with its own position, just like something bites people. " In Japan and China, setting up markets, gathering goods from all directions and bartering are also a trade activity after the emergence of social division of labor.