source of lifebuoy

A lifebuoy is a tool that people rely on to survive when they are in distress on the water. When going swimming in summer, for safety reasons, people often like to bring lifebuoy or swimming Rings. People who are new to swimming prefer to accompany it. Even sailors who are familiar with water should always prepare several lifebuoys on each boat when they go out to sea. In the past, some people thought that the life buoy was introduced to China from Europe and the United States. In fact, the life buoy was invented by the Chinese people.

As early as two or three thousand years ago, China had a "life buoy", that is, dried gourd and melon. The "Book of Changes" said: "Bao Huang, use Feng (pronounced 'pin') the river", according to Mr. Guo Moruo's explanation, is "cross the river with gourds and melons". "Book of Songs" also said that "there are bitter leaves, and there is deep involvement in the economy", and this gourd and melon is the original life-saving equipment. Later, most of the ships sailing at sea carried gourds and melons to prevent accidents. It can be seen that the ancient Chinese people used dried gourds and melons to float across the river, which is the original life buoy.

In the Song Dynasty, the method of making life buoys made a big step forward. Some people began to use soft wood, reeds, etc. to weave a ring-shaped object, so that people could drill into it, so that the ring could support the body of the person. The gourd and melon is much more convenient, and it has become a veritable life-saving "circle", which the Song people call "floating ring". According to the book "Song Barnyard Books": Han Shizhong, a famous anti-Jin general in the Song Dynasty, once sent his general Wang Quan to Jinshan to fight the enemy. Before leaving, Han Shizhong ordered him not to use a boat to cross the river, so as not to be discovered by the enemy. So the king gave each soldier a circular floating ring made of cork, and asked them to tie the floating ring around their waists to cross the river. The soldiers quietly crossed the river under the leadership of Wang Quan, and the Jin people were completely unaware that they were raided and annihilated. The floating ring used by the king at that time was the predecessor of the modern lifebuoy.

In modern times, with the application of new technologies and new materials, all kinds of life-saving equipment have appeared one after another: lifeboats, life jackets, everything is available. But the traditional equipment of lifebuoy is still used by people, and it is still a simple lifesaving tool. When sailing, the seafarers still put the lifebuoy in a conspicuous place such as the deck of the ship, and painted the lifebuoy with red and white colors. At night, the position of the drowning person is easy to identify, and the rescue boat can track the sign, quickly rush to the accident site, and rescue the drowning person who is fighting the waves.