Many iron-production techniques of surprising antiquity survived in China well into the twentieth century, and were used extensively in the campaign for increased steel production in 1958. The campaign produced a large body of technical studies of the traditional techniques, and the study of this material can provide a technical basis for the interpretation of ancient written descriptions and archaeological finds. This book is a technical study of the iron industry of one small region, the Dabieshan mountains of southern Henan, based on descriptions by competent engineers in 1917, 1932, and 1958. It also provides some information on the techniques used in other parts of China, and on the earlier history of the techniques.

Figure 25. Diagram of the Huang Jiguang blast furnace at the East Wind People's Commune, Macheng County, Hubei (Yang Kuan 1982, p. 193). Dimensions are given in market inches (shicun).