Editing Zhou dynasty (section)

===Agriculture===
[[Image:Shi Qiang pan.jpg|thumb|The [[Shi Qiang pan]] ({{circa|10th century&nbsp;BC}}), inscribed with the accomplishments of the earliest Zhou kings]]
Agriculture in the Zhou dynasty was very intensive and, in many cases, directed by the government. All farming lands were owned by nobles, who then gave their land to their [[serfs]], a situation similar to European [[feudalism]]. For example, a piece of land was divided into nine squares in the [[well-field system]], with the grain from the middle square taken by the government and that of surrounding squares kept by individual farmers. This way, the government was able to store surplus food and distribute it in times of famine or bad harvest. Some important manufacturing sectors during this period included bronze smelting, which was integral to making weapons and farming tools. Again, these industries were dominated by the nobility who directed the production of such materials.<ref>[https://www.chinaeducenter.com/en/whychina/zhou.php#:~:text=Agriculture%20in%20Zhou%20Dynasty%20was,serfs%2C%20similar%20to%20European%20feudalism. History of Zhou Dynasty 1122–255 BC] China Education Center</ref>

China's first projects of [[hydraulic engineering]] were initiated during the Zhou dynasty, ultimately as a means to aid agricultural irrigation. [[Sunshu Ao]], the Chancellor of [[Wei (state)|Wei]] who served [[King Zhuang of Chu]], dammed a river to create an enormous irrigation reservoir in modern-day northern [[Anhui]] province. For this, Sunshu is credited as China's first hydraulic engineer. The later Wei statesman [[Ximen Bao]], who served [[Marquis Wen of Wei]] (445–396&nbsp;BC), was the first hydraulic engineer of China to have created a large irrigation canal system. As the main focus of his grandiose project, his canal work eventually diverted the waters of the entire [[Zhang River]] to a spot further up the [[Yellow River]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}