Shen Kuo

Also known as Zi Cunzhong

Shen Kuo, courtesy name Cunzhong, came from Qiantang in Hangzhou and passed the jinshi examination in 1063. During the Xining reforms of Wang Anshi he directed the Bureau of Astronomy, rebuilt its armillary sphere, gnomon and clepsydra, and recommended Wei Pu, who produced the Fengyuan calendar. Sent to the Liao in 1075, he used archives of the Bureau of Military Affairs to defend the Song claim to the Huangwei hills, recorded the landscapes and customs along his route, and on his return became acting finance commissioner. When Song forces were routed by the Xi Xia at Yongle in 1082, he shared the blame as prefect of Yanzhou and was demoted. In retirement at his Dream Brook garden in Runzhou he wrote the Brush Talks from Dream Brook (Mengxi bitan). The book contains the earliest description of Bi Sheng's movable clay type, notes that the compass needle points slightly east of south, and gives the name shiyou, rock oil, to the petroleum found near Yanzhou.