Editing Water wheel (section)

=== China ===
[[File:Tiangong Kaiwu Chain Pumps.jpg|thumb|upright|Two types of [[hydraulic]]-powered [[chain pump]]s from the ''[[Tiangong Kaiwu]]'' of 1637, written by the [[Ming Dynasty]] [[encyclopedist]], [[Song Yingxing]] (1587–1666).]]

According to [[Joseph Needham]] and other historians, the text known as the ''Xin Lun'' written by [[Huan Tan]] about 20&nbsp;AD (during the usurpation of [[Wang Mang]]) infers that water wheels had been used for pounding machinery in grain mills.{{sfn|Huang|Zhang|2020|p=298}}{{sfn|Needham|1965|p=392}}<ref name=Hansen/> The ''Xin Lun'' states that the legendary mythological king known as [[Fu Xi]] was the one responsible for the pestle and mortar, which evolved into the tilt-hammer and then trip hammer device (see [[trip hammer]]). Although the author speaks of the mythological Fu Xi, a passage of his writing gives hint that the water wheel was in widespread use by the 1st century&nbsp;AD in [[China]] ([[Wade-Giles]] spelling):

<blockquote>Fu Hsi invented the pestle and mortar, which is so useful, and later on it was cleverly improved in such a way that the whole weight of the body could be used for treading on the tilt-hammer (''tui''), thus increasing the efficiency ten times. Afterwards the power of animals—donkeys, mules, oxen, and horses—was applied by means of machinery, and water-power too used for pounding, so that the benefit was increased a hundredfold.{{sfn|Needham|1965|p=392}}</blockquote>

In the year 31&nbsp;AD, the engineer and [[Prefect]] of [[Nanyang (region)|Nanyang]], [[Du Shi]] (d. 38), applied a complex use of the water wheel and machinery to power the [[bellows]] of the [[blast furnace]] to create [[cast iron]]. Du Shi is mentioned briefly in the ''[[Book of Later Han]]'' (''Hou Han Shu'') as follows (in Wade-Giles spelling):

<blockquote>In the seventh year of the Chien-Wu reign period (31&nbsp;AD) Tu Shih was posted to be Prefect of Nanyang. He was a generous man and his policies were peaceful; he destroyed evil-doers and established the dignity (of his office). Good at planning, he loved the common people and wished to save their labor. He invented a water-power reciprocator (''shui phai'') for the casting of (iron) agricultural implements. Those who smelted and cast already had the push-bellows to blow up their charcoal fires, and now they were instructed to use the rushing of the water (''chi shui'') to operate it&nbsp;... Thus the people got great benefit for little labor. They found the 'water(-powered) bellows' convenient and adopted it widely.{{sfn|Needham|1965|p=370}}</blockquote>

According to the ''[[Book of Jin]]'', [[Zhang Heng]] (78-139) invented a water-powered [[armillary sphere]] which could "turn around by water leakage" around 130. Later generations speculated that this meant a water wheel.{{sfn|Huang|Zhang|2020|p=304}}

According to the ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'', the [[mechanical engineer]] [[Ma Jun (mechanical engineer)|Ma Jun]] (c. 200–265) from [[Cao Wei]] used a water wheel to power and operate a large mechanical puppet theater for [[Emperor Ming of Wei]] ({{abbr|r.|reigned}} 226–239).{{sfn|Needham|1965|p=158}} The device was  carved using large wood, wheel shaped, and operated parallel to the ground to lift water in order to drive an assortment of puppets as well as mills with pestle.{{sfn|Huang|Zhang|2020|p=11}} The Prefect Han Ji was made Superintendent of Metallurgical Production sometime before 238. He "adapted the furnace bellows to the use of ever-flowing water, and an efficiency three times greater than before was attained."{{sfn|Needham|1965|p=370}} Twenty years later, a new design was introduced by a man named Du Yu.{{sfn|Needham|1965|p=370}} A record dated to 263 or later mentions a device known as ''shui dui'' that made use of water wheels: 

{{quote|Beside the river, a shui dui is made, and water wheels are set behind it. A crosspiece is installed to run through the wheels. The two ends of the crosspiece are linked alternately to a long wood of about two chi and directly impact the rear wood of the shui dui. When the water is lifted to impact the wheel, the wheel will rotate, which drives the alternate wood to impact the rear wood of the shui dui to hull grain, using no manpower. The device is thus called shui dui.{{sfn|Huang|Zhang|2020|p=298}}}}

In the beginning of the Yuanjia era (424-429), an artificial lake was created for water powered blowing bellows used in smelting and casting works. However it was discovered that the earthworks of the lake leaked and were insufficient for their intended purpose. They were destroyed and replaced by man-powered "treadmill bellows".{{sfn|Needham|1965|p=371-372}}