Tang Jialu's mission to showcase ancient Chinese innovations

Tang Jialu, a self-professed techno freak, is trying to build China's first museum for ancient Chinese inventions. The 77-year-old has already restored several full-scale historical inventions.

The inventions include those used in agriculture, wind power and metallurgy, and in making textiles, earthenware, ancient vehicles and weapons, said Tang.

He said the museum, located in Chongqing's Changshou district, is sponsored by a local enterprise. The first phase of the project features eight large devices. The museum is expected to open to the public this year.

From 2004 to 2007, Tang traveled around Chongqing and Sichuan, Shaanxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces, collecting information about 200 ancient devices and sketching them to catalog traditional folk craftsmanship.

One of the devices to be exhibited in the museum is the Nine Water Mills, which is 15 meters long, 6 meters wide and 12 meters high. It is made up of 1,454 wooden pieces using the lock technology invented by Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master, and is depicted in the Book Of Agriculture by Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) agronomist Wang Zhen.

"I hope this will give people a better understanding of our long history, encourage them to contribute to Chinese civilization and strengthen their cultural confidence," Tang said.