Luban, whose surname is Gongshu and whose given name is Ban. Because he was from the state of Lu, "Ban" and "Ban" had the same pronunciation, which were commonly used in ancient times, so people often called him Lu Ban.
Lu Ban was born approximately in the 13th year of King Zhou Jing (507 BC) and died in the 25th year of King Zhending (444 BC). He lived from the late Spring and Autumn Period to the early Warring States Period. Coming from a family of craftsmen for generations, he has participated in many civil construction projects with his family since he was a child, gradually mastering the skills of productive labor and accumulating rich practical experience.
Lu Ban has many inventions and creations. Many ancient books such as "Shi Cyan Pearl", "Wu Yuan" and "Ancient History" record that many tools and instruments used by carpenters were created by him, such as the curved ruler (also called the moment or Luban ruler), as well as the ink fountain and plane. , drills, chisels, shovels and other tools are also said to have been invented by Luban. The invention of these woodworking tools freed the craftsmen at that time from primitive and heavy labor, doubled their labor efficiency, and gave civil engineering a new look. Later, in order to commemorate this famous master, people respected him as the ancestor of my country's civil craftsmen.
According to records in "Shiben", the stone mill was also invented by Lu Ban. Legend has it that Lu Ban used two relatively hard round stones, cut them into dense shallow grooves, put them together, and used human or animal power to turn them, and then grind the rice flour into powder. This is what we call a mill. Before this, people processed grain by putting the grains in a stone mortar and pounding them with a pestle. The invention of the mill changed the up and down motion of the pestle and mortar into a rotational motion, so that the intermittent work of the pestle and mortar became continuous. work, greatly reducing labor intensity and improving production efficiency. This is a major improvement in ancient grain processing tools. The actual situation of Lu Ban's invention of the grinding mill has been unknown, but judging from archaeological excavations, pestles and mortars were already in existence during the Longshan Culture period (about 4,000 years ago). Therefore, it is possible that the grinding mill was invented in Lu Ban's time.
In terms of weapons, according to "Mozi Gongshu Chapter", Luban once manufactured "cloud ladders" for sieges and "Gouqiang" (also known as "Gouji") for water warfare for the Chu State. ), played a relatively large role in the war. In terms of architecture and sculpture, Luban also made many contributions. "Shu Yi Ji" says that Lu Ban carved a three-dimensional stone map of Kyushu.
Lu Ban is indeed one of the best civil construction craftsmen in ancient my country. For more than 2,400 years, he has been regarded as the "ancestor" by civil engineering craftsmen and is respected and commemorated by people.
Lu Ban, a native of Shandong, is now revered as the originator of the construction industry. This is far from enough. Lu Ban is not only in the construction industry, but also in the aerospace industry. The flying kite he invented was the first human to conquer space. ; In military science, Lu Ban invented the ladder (heavy weapon), the hook (which people still use today) and other siege weapons. He is a great military scientist; in terms of machinery, Lu Ban has long been known as machinery. Saint; in addition, there are many achievements in civil, craft and other fields. Luban's contribution to mankind can be said to be unprecedented and unprecedented. He is China's well-deserved father of scientific and technological invention.
The stories about Lu Ban include:
There are many folk legends about Lu Ban’s invention and creation, but it is difficult for us to distinguish the authenticity from the only remaining historical materials. But Lu Ban No one can deny that he is the originator of Chinese architects.
(1) Cloud ladder: It is an instrument used for siege in ancient times. "Mozi Gongshu" records: "Gongshu Pan was a tool used by Chu to build a ladder, and it was completed." "Warring States Policy: Gongshu Pan Sets Up the Rules for Chu" writes that when Mozi went to see Gongshu Pan, he said: "I heard that Gongshu Pan was a ladder to the clouds." Both prove Lu Ban's deeds of building a ladder.
(2) Gouqiang: Gouqiang is also called "Gouji" and "Gouju". It was a fighting tool used in ancient water warfare. According to "Mozi Lu Wen" records: In the past, Chu and Yue fought on the water, because "the people of Chu advanced with the current and retreated against it. When they saw advantages, they advanced, and when they saw disadvantages, they retreated. The people of Yue advanced against the current, and followed the current." If it retreats when it flows, it will advance if it sees an advantage, but it will retreat quickly if it sees a disadvantage." This resulted in Chu's defeat at the hands of Yue. In order to change the situation of the war, when Lu Ban first arrived in Chu, Chu made the first concession to make this kind of weapon, which could hook the retreating enemy ships and resist the attacking enemy ships.
(3) Wooden magpie: a flying instrument made of bamboo. According to "Mozi·Luwen": "Gongshuzi whittled bamboo and wood to make a magpie, and when it was ready, it flew away and stayed there for three days."
(4) Woodworking tools: During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the production technology level of construction carpentry had reached a very high level. Lu Ban and the craftsmen at that time were inseparable from woodworking tools when building houses and bridges. "Mencius Li Lou" said: "The master's trick is to make a circle without rules." This shows that there were "rules" and "rules" at that time. The curved ruler in use today may have been developed by Luban on the basis of "moment". Modern carpenters call it "Luban ruler".
The small hook used to stretch the ink line is also called "Ban Mu", and the bayonet that holds the wood when planing is also called "Ban Wives".
Lu Ban made the world The first saw on the road was an iron bar with many small teeth
Lu Ban also had certain attainments in weapons. According to "Mozi. "Gongshu Chapter" records that Lu Ban once manufactured "Go Ladders" for sieges and "Gouqiang" (also known as "Gouji") for water warfare for the Chu State, both of which played a relatively large role in the war.
Lu Ban made curium:
One day, Lu Ban went to a high mountain to look for wood. Suddenly his foot slipped and he hurriedly reached out to grab a clump of thatch beside the road.
My hand was torn by thatch and blood oozed from it.
"Why is this humble thatch so sharp?" He forgot about the pain of the wound, picked up a handful of thatch and looked at it carefully, and found that there were many sharp teeth on the edges of the grass leaves. He used these dense teeth to lightly scratch the back of his hand, and actually made a gash.
He thought: If I also use a tool with many small saw teeth to saw trees, wouldn’t I be able to saw the wood quickly? That would definitely take less effort than chopping with an axe.
So, Lu Ban asked a blacksmith to make dozens of iron pieces with sharp small serrations on the edges, and took them to the mountain for experiments. Sure enough, the trees were soon cut down.
Lu Ban named this newly invented tool "saw".
Lu Ban
In Chinese religion, one of the main responsibilities of God is to bless his followers. For many industries and professions, this blessing can be for business prosperity, but for other industries, such as construction, this blessing takes a more practical form. Luban is the patron saint of residential construction, thanks to his invention of a large number of tools, such as saws, planers and ink fountains, which are basic tools in the construction industry. Therefore, Lu Ban is the saint of Chinese builders and constructors, and his celebration day is June 13th. Luban has been called various names in ancient and modern literature, such as architect, engineer, craftsman, designer, and inventor. It is said that he was best known as a masterful architect.
Lu Ban was born in the state of Lu (now Shandong Province). His real name was Gongshu Ban, a nickname no longer used today. He lived during the Warring States (Spring and Autumn Period) period, and many books state that he was born in 507 BC, but there are also earlier claims that he was born in 606 BC. He is said to have achieved his greatest influence between 490 and 420 BC. There are many folk stories about Lu Ban's deeds and inventions, some of which are true, while others are clearly myths. In the construction industry, many of Lu Ban's stories are passed down from master to apprentice, and many skills in the construction industry itself are also passed down in this way.
Lu Ban's Biography Lu Ban's Invention The Myth and Legend of Lu Ban Temple (originally published in Chapter 4 of "Hong Kong Construction" compiled by the Hong Kong Construction Association in 1990)
Lu Ban's Biography
As an era of great social change, the records of Lu Ban's era are incomplete, but he was one of the first people who were respected by humans to the position of god, so these stories have the characteristics of legend and reality combined into one. Luban was a skilled craftsman and builder (we'll talk about his inventions below), but he's often identified as a machinist. Despite this, he received very little if any education, and he worked through rough estimates, intuition, inspiration, or simply general feeling. Therefore, his skills are based on his work experience and feelings rather than any great theoretical research or ideas. Of course, good assembly skills such as carpentry are still suitable to be taught to apprentices today. These techniques can be learned but not transmitted in words: the craftsman can demonstrate the phenomena of what is done, but cannot express in logical terms his perception of the materials he uses, his intuition of the right things based on his many years of experience. In our current era of mass production and careful planning systems, such technology is almost a lost craft. The names of saints are also circulated in proverbs, such as "a classmate is an axe", which is a metaphor for showing limited skills in front of experts. In English, it corresponds to "teaching the elders". One of Luban's important legacies is the "Luban Jing" or "Luban Guide", which is described by Joseph Needham in the sixth volume of the second part of "Chinese Science and Culture". This is a skills guide that provides craftsmen and builders with practical advice on comprehensive techniques, Feng Shui, and sounding. Needham describes the book as follows: This book discloses a series of examples showing the construction of the structure, sawing in carpentry, various houses, bridges and pavilions, partial construction or completion. A comparison can be made here with a pavilion under construction in the well-known Dunhuang murals. This picture shows a tower building that was intended to be an observatory. What follows next is a biography of the legend of Gongshu, which deals with the felling of trees, the erection of pillars, the unique single and double-column frames, the construction of granaries, as well as clock towers, shelters, furniture, wheelbarrows, and square plank chains. Manufacture of pumps, piston bellows, abacus, and other things. The precise specifications and dimensions are embellished with empirical knowledge. The empirical knowledge here is knowledge about auspicious and unlucky days, the patterns of the Moli charms and the corresponding sacrifices. Since the magic component of this book is much more than the technology itself, in the end, we feel that a "characteristic" building is narrated with magic spells to expel or bring luck and fixed blessing charms. The era in which Lu Ban lived was a period of transition and a technological revolution, when machinists and craftsmen made things based only on what they felt before their eyes. Craftsmen are often ridiculed by educated officials, but they cannot answer the many questions raised by their slanderers with words - they can only make with their hands. Scholars have many doubts about mechanical inventions, but Luban and his colleagues used handmade products to bring about changes in the status of craftsmen.
Luban’s invention of “planing”
Before Luban, carpenters only used axes and knives to flatten the wood used for construction. As a result, even if they did a good job, it was still difficult. Satisfactory.
Later, Luban discovered through long-term practice that the thinner the blade he used, the flatter the surface he created and the easier it was to dry. In this way, this planing gradually evolved from Luban's practice, initially with a thin ax blade, later with a blade fixed to a piece of wood and crossed over the handle, and finally the blade was fixed in the wooden groove - this is what we The plane we are familiar with today. Luban's wife was also an inventor who inspired her husband. When Luban was planing the wood, she had to stand on one end of the wood and hold the rough slab. Since she had other obligations to fulfill, it was not ideal to do such a thing, so she invented a wooden groove for the wood planing workbench to withstand the pressure of Luban's wood planing, making wood planing possible by one person. work. The wooden trough she invented became known as Banzhi.
Ink fountain
Another very important tool invented by Luban is the craftsman's ink fountain (used for setting construction projects). This invention may have been inspired by his mother. At that time, his mother was cutting and sewing clothes. Luban watched all this and saw that she was using a small powder bag and a thread to print out the desired shape. Luban transferred this method to an ink fountain, pinched both ends of a thread (thread soaked with the ink fountain) and placed it on the material to be made to print the required lines. Initially, Luban and his mother had to hold both ends of the line. Later his mother suggested that he make a small hook and tie it to one end of the line, thereby freeing her from the chore and allowing one person to perform it. In order to commemorate Lu Ban's mother, craftsmen still call this ink fountain Ban Mu.
Ruler
Another symbol of Luban's invention is the triangular plate that can correctly draw right angles, also known as Ban ruler. It can tell the craftsman which dimensions are irregular and according to the rules. The rules of divination (feng shui) which are unlucky. These rulers are still available in Hong Kong today. Luban attached great importance to the invention of the saw. Or be inspired by a blade of grass with a toothed edge and cut your finger, or see a cricket cutting and eating food with its sharp teeth and leave. Regardless, most are described below. Luban and the craftsmen encountered a task that required them to cut down a large amount of wood. After several days of cutting, they were exhausted and the axes they used were dull. At this time, Lu Ban suddenly cut his finger on a blade of grass. He immediately thought: It would be a good way to make a tool like this to cut wood. He selected a piece of bamboo and used an ax to cut a row of teeth on its edge. The new saw cut through the bark easily, and the soft bamboo teeth wore away quickly as he cut across the tree. However, this proves the principle that sawing can break wood. So Lu Ban put down what he was doing and went to the blacksmith, asking him to prepare an iron plate as hard and sharp as an axe, and then make it into a tooth shape. Luban had this first artificial saw blade, and used it on a wooden roof truss to cut wood accurately and effortlessly.
Bot
Another symbol of Luban’s invention is the bolt. In ancient times, bolts used by people were shaped like fish and hung on doors. Needham points out that Luban replaced these pegs with keys shaped like tamper keys, which depended on the exact function of the mating parts. Lu Ban's skills were enough to create such a device, and it is said that he also invented the "lock tumbler" that is still used in many locks today. Other symbols of Luban's inventions are drills, wedges, windlass, shovels and stone mills for grinding rice. The stone grinder was invented when Lu Ban saw an old woman struggling to use a hammer and mortar. After much consideration, he made two thick stone slices and cut them into cylinders, and then made holes on their surfaces, one on top of the other, and placed wheat and rice between them. When the upper cylinder rotated, the powder (or flour) comes out.
Umbrella
The final word for this invention was attributed to Lu Ban’s wife. In ancient times, rainy days and hot summers plagued people, and people had to hide under small pavilions instead of going out. There is such a legend that Luban built many small pavilions around his neighbors for everyone to use, but they still did not allow people to go out freely during the stormy season. Lu Ban's wife then made a lightweight bamboo pavilion with oiled paper according to the style of the pavilion built by her husband - of course it was an umbrella. His wife said to Luban: "The house you built cannot be moved. My umbrella can take it everywhere and provide protection in various seasons."
Luban Temple
Built in memory of this architectural saint. The Luban Temple in Hong Kong is located on the Green Lotus Terrace above Kennedy Town on Hong Kong Island. It is a staircase extending from the Powerful Terrace. The Luban Festival is held every year, when builders and construction workers come to offer sacrifices. This temple has a very interesting history. Instigated by ten craftsmen who requested to celebrate Lu Ban's birthday, people proposed a plan to build a temple for him in Hong Kong at the end of the 19th century. They imagined that it would be a good idea to solicit donations from 25% of the entire construction workforce so that everyone in the construction industry could remember and commemorate the saint's birthday. A Mr. Li was moved by their enthusiasm and donated a piece of land in the West District. After a period of time, he collected enough funds and finally built the temple in the 10th year of Guangxu. The temple and the association formed were called "Guangyue Hall". Then, there was a little trouble. Mr. Li's son wanted to sell the land to HopHing Company, but this was not possible because his father had donated the land for the Luban Temple.
Fortunately, HopHing Company sympathized with Lu Ban's followers, and finally donated an additional lot for "Guangyue Hall" and invited an architect to draw a new plan for this section. The temple was rebuilt over a period of time and the current temple was built by Chin Chin Company in 1927. The conference hall adjacent to the temple was built in 1950 with donations from committee members. Over the past thirty years, Hong Kong's construction industry has developed rapidly, but the ancient traditions and history have not been forgotten. Luban Festival is celebrated every year during the hot and humid season, and all construction sites are shut down so that workers can take part in the celebrations.
Myths and Legends
There are many stories about Lu Ban among the people. These stories are almost unbelievable to ordinary mortals, but they are very interesting to read. Over time, a small number of these stories may be true, while the rest are clearly fiction. Many stories are passed down from generation to generation by the craftsmen who built the site. It is a world of illusions that range from the possible and believable to the unbelievable. The famous thinker Mo Zhai often appears in Lu Ban's stories. One day, a craftsman invented a wooden bird (kite), which rose high into the sky and stayed high in the sky for three days. Mo Zhai said, "Your achievements in making this wooden bird cannot be compared with a craftsman making an axle pin. In a short time, the craftsman cut out a piece of wood. Although it was only three feet, it could carry It is true that any achievement that is beneficial to people can be said to be dexterous, while anything that is useless is clumsy." It is said that this argument led Luban to devote his life to serving people and making useful things. There is a second description of this period of history, which may be due to scholars' jealousy of the craftsman's ability: Mo Zhai spent three years making a kite based on this model, but it was destroyed on the first day of its flight. When his flattering followers flattered him, he said: "This is as unwise as making a wooden ox-yoke."
Another story of Lu Ban is also related to the thinker Mo Zhai. King Hui of Chu was the most powerful man, and he was preparing to fight the neighboring country of Song. He commissioned Lu Ban to design an artillery "city climbing ladder" to climb the defensive area of ??the Song capital. At this time Mo Zhai came and tried to dissuade King Hui from giving up his intention with clever words and sincerity. King Hui hesitated. In order to convince his argument, Mo Zhai had to conduct a simulated battle, counterattacking Luban and his equipment, and finally resisted Luban with his ninth counterattack. So King Hui finally agreed to give up his pursuit. An incompetent builder once designed the roof of a lamasery to have a disproportionate structure. This error was exposed as the project progressed. Facing the increasingly serious engineering errors, he was so anxious that he just wanted to commit suicide. After he made up his mind to do this, he went to the construction site canteen for his last meal. When he went there, he found that the chef had changed and the food was not delicious. When he complained about the chef, the only answer he got was: "Fortified salt." After this sentence repeated in his mind many times, the builder uttered a sound with the same sound but different words: "heavy eaves". So his construction problems were finally solved. At the same time, he also saved his own life. There is another similar story. There was an emperor of the Yuan Dynasty who wanted to build a novel shelter house. He found a builder and ordered him to design a style that satisfied him, otherwise he would be executed. The builder came up with many ideas out of thin air, but none of them met the requirements. In desperation, he came to a teahouse. I found an old man sitting next to him. The old man took an extremely rare empty birdcage. The builder immediately felt that the birdcage provided exactly the basis for the design he was looking for. He offered to buy the birdcage, but the old man would not sell it at any high price. Later, the old man left the teahouse. When he returned home disappointed, he was pleasantly surprised to find that the old man had left the birdcage at his home and provided him with the assembly diagram of the birdcage. This old man was the one he saw in the teahouse. Work began on the novel summer house the next day. This old man is Lu Ban.
In many such stories, Lu Ban is described as a charitable and strong man who can help those in need. When putting up the beams, it is customary for people to decorate the main beams across the house with red cloth with the word "Fu" on them. This was due to a bricklayer and craftsman who, while building a new house, mismeasured the main beams and discovered that the beams they built were a foot shorter than the required dimensions. Just when they were worried about this problem, an old craftsman came over and provided a solution. He said: "Cut the beam in half and I will install it for you". They did as he said, so the old man climbed up the ladder and installed each half of the beam, leaving a gap in the middle and filling it with a piece of red silk with the word "Fu" printed on it. No one could tell that the beam was separate. The craftsmen and bricklayers were very happy to see this new decoration method. When they turned to thank the old man, Luban had disappeared. The moral of the story is to be extremely careful when making items made by joinery, otherwise time and wood will be wasted.
When the East Palace was being built, an old craftsman wanted to get a job, but the foreman said that he was too old and could not climb to the height where he had to work. The old man said he could do some simple tasks. At this time, another worker persuaded the foreman to keep the old man working with them. The old man stayed there, and for two weeks all he did was make a lot of irregular and untidy wedges.
These wedges were obviously useless, and some people even used them as firewood. When it came time to assemble all the beams and columns, the workers had no difficulty connecting them at all. Later, a worker picked up Luban's wedges and found that the space of each connecting object was well connected, one after another. All Luban's wedges were used in the construction of the palace. The old man was very respected from then on.
Luban’s spirit has always existed in work and in the hearts of people engaged in the construction industry. The construction industry will continue to celebrate his birthday, and the entire society is grateful to Luban. He created many architectural techniques for mankind.