Step back in time and discover a remarkable piece of history – the Kao Gong Ji, the world’s oldest urban blueprint that still inspires our digital age! 🏙️ Compiled over 2,000 years ago during the Warring States Period, this ancient text outlines detailed guidelines for building a capital city with precision. Imagine a city with three gates on each of its walls, three main streets running north–south and east–west, and three branching paths from each main route – it's like crafting the perfect grid for a modern smart city!
Although this surviving text contains only around 7,000 characters, its impact is massive. It covers everything from the art of bronze mixing for weapons and ornaments to meticulous urban planning techniques. Rediscovered during the Han dynasty, the Kao Gong Ji was later appended to the esteemed Zhou Li, linking ancient statecraft with innovative technology. 📜
Today, as emerging economies in South Asia and Southeast Asia embrace smart urban development, this classic blueprint reminds us that time-tested planning is key to progress. Whether you're a tech enthusiast fascinated by the origins of innovation or a budding urban planner dreaming about dynamic city designs, the legacy of the Kao Gong Ji continues to inspire modern ideas.
From ancient wisdom to contemporary innovation, let the story of the Kao Gong Ji spark your curiosity about how the past shapes our future!
Reference(s):
The world's oldest urban blueprint? A look inside Kao Gong Ji
cgtn.com
