Needham and Ancient Chinese Technology: A Lifelong Quest and Discovery

Author: Liu Liming, Associate Researcher, School of Communication and Design, Sun Yat-sen University

Needham, a great pathfinder, sparked a new interpretation of Chinese technology and even ancient Chinese civilization in the Western world in the twentieth century. The six-episode cultural documentary "Needham and Ancient Chinese Science and Technology" uses a large number of precious historical materials to reproduce the experience of Joseph Needham, a scientist at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, who came to China from the 1940s to the 1980s to investigate and write a great work on the history of science, "History of Science and Technology in China", and discussed Needham's enduring contribution to the exchange of science and culture between China and the West; at the same time, the documentary also borrowed The eye of Joseph Needham to comprehensively show the glory and splendor of Ancient Chinese scientific and technological culture, and shaped the iron backbone of Chinese intellectuals in the war-torn era.

Poster for the documentary "Needham and Ancient Chinese Technology"

"Civilization is enriched by exchanges, and civilizations are enriched by mutual learning." The documentary begins with Joseph Needham departing for China, skillfully using the perspective of character biographies, using six different themes of "To China", "Mr. Wind", "Civilized Highland", "Light of Science and Technology", "Birth of Masterpieces", and "People Go to Take Pictures", which completely presents Needham's journey of exploring ancient Chinese science and technology. Under the support of a large number of historical materials and stories, the image of a great scholar who loves China and is full of the spirit of great scientific internationalism is portrayed vividly. As Geoffrey Lloyd, a board member of the Needham Institute in the film, said in an interview: "Needham was a very good bridge-building man, connecting not only China and the West, but also science and the humanities. As a "bridge", Needham is worthy of being an important discoverer of China's scientific and technological tradition and a messenger to let the world understand Chinese civilization.

In the film, Joseph Needham's interaction with a group of famous Chinese intellectuals such as Tong Dizhou, Liang Sicheng, and Lin Huiyin is also enjoyable. In the midst of the bitter rain and wind, Needham and Liang Sicheng met in front of the sickbed, Liang Sicheng, who suffered from spinal disease and had to wear an iron vest to sit up straight, was still writing the "History of Chinese Architecture" and the "Catalogue of the History of Chinese Architecture"; in the lotus pond and rice fields, he saw Tong Dizhou and his wife personally taking students to catch frogs, and still insisted on experimenting in a simple environment; and Fu Sinian did not speculate from the words of the first meeting to sympathizing with each other, and finally called Fu Sinian "our friendliest welcomer, where he led us to talk about the history of gunpowder all night"... ... In the exchange and mutual learning, Needham saw in Chinese scholars that even in the midst of war, they were still proud, unyielding in their faith and strong feelings of home and country, and Needham began to approach the core of Chinese civilization step by step, and finally chose to embark on the road of studying Chinese scientific and technological civilization without hesitation.

In addition, the documentary cleverly borrows Needham's perspective to show the charm of China's magnificent mountains and rivers and traditional science and technology: the traditional Chinese science and technology led by the four major inventions has entered the world of Westerners, completely subverting the Western view of Chinese science and technology and even ancient Chinese civilization; the water transport instrument elephant platform has attracted the attention of the world under Needham's research on its attempt to restore; and there are also cylindrical cars, looms, abacuses, Dunhuang star maps and other commonplace artifacts of the Chinese people, all of which have become witnesses to the development of China's science and technology through one photo and one written record. At the same time, it also allows the audience to deeply feel the profound cultural heritage and scientific and technological creation vitality of the Chinese nation.

It is worth mentioning that the film also discloses a number of undisclosed old photos taken by Needham, which freezes Needham's Chinese time, the war-torn Chinese social landscape of the 1940s and the mental state of people from all walks of life, which are reborn under his lens. Through the novel activation of photographs, the film makes the solidified black and white images become a "sliding door" connecting the two time and space, and at the same time, it also innovates the way of hand-painted gouache and ink animation to explore the new forms of historical documentary narration of history, vividly presenting some notes and stories in diaries.

This "old friend of the Chinese people", with his footprints and notes, traveled through the flames of war, traveled all over the country, and throughout his life, he paid a warm gaze and enthusiastic applause to China, with great curiosity about China's science and technology and culture, slowly filled the gap in China's field of world science and technology history research, and advocated a positive dialogue on human civilization. The documentary "Needham and Ancient Chinese Science and Technology" uses a person's perspective to look back at an era, restores a history of exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Western civilizations with artistic expression, and gives historical documentaries a deep humanistic connotation. The splendid Chinese science and technology in the documentary and the style and integrity of intellectuals have also continuously inspired contemporary scholars to study hard and bravely shoulder heavy burdens. (Liu Liming)

Source: Guangming Network - Literary And Art Review Channel