author
Yingxing Song
b. 1587
Best known for the 1637 work Tiangong Kaiwu, this late Ming writer gathered practical knowledge about farming, industry, and craft into one remarkable book. His writing is still valued for the vivid way it records how everyday work and technology actually functioned in 17th-century China.
1 Audiobook
天工開物
by Yingxing Song
About the author
Born in Jiangxi in 1587, Song Yingxing was a Chinese scholar of the late Ming period. He pursued the civil service examinations and passed the provincial level in 1615, but he did not achieve the higher degree that would have brought him greater official success.
His lasting fame comes from Tiangong Kaiwu (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature), first published in 1637. The book brings together detailed observations on agriculture, handicrafts, manufacturing, mining, and even military technology, making it one of the most important records of practical science and industry from premodern China.
What makes Song especially interesting to modern readers is his focus on how things were made and used in real life. Rather than writing only for court scholars, he preserved the skills, tools, and working methods of ordinary producers, which is why his work remains so rich and readable today.