A 17th-century masterwork that reveals China's ecological wisdom

In 1637, Chinese scientist and encyclopedist Song Yingxing penned Tiangong Kaiwu (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature) in Fenyi, Jiangxi. Hailed as the "Encyclopedia of 17th-Century Chinese Technology," this book spans three volumes and eighteen chapters, elaborating the ancient ecological philosophy of "harmony between man and nature."

Over the past centuries, the Chinese people have upheld the principle of "measured taking and mutual flourishing," continually enriching the meaning of "Tiangong" ("Nature's works") and "Kaiwu" ("Create things with nature's gifts"). This reverence for nature endures to this day, ever renewing itself.