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Water vessels of the Borugak self-striking water clock, remade in 1536 after Jang Yeong-sil’s design, Deoksugung
Water vessels of the Borugak self-striking water clock, remade in 1536 after Jang Yeong-sil’s design, Deoksugung

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Person

Jang Yeong-sil

Scientist of humble birth who built the self-striking water clock for Sejong and helped make astronomical instruments

A government slave from Dongnae, he was brought to court under Taejong for his skill and sent to Ming China by Sejong to study astronomical instruments. He built the self-striking water clock Jagyeongnu and took part in making the armillary sphere, the simplified armillary (ganui), the Ongnu clock and the Gabin metal type. Freed from slavery, he rose to the rank of daehogun, but after a royal palanquin built under his supervision broke in 1442 he was punished and disappears from the records.

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5 related events

  1. 1
    1432The Ganui Platform and Armillary Spherescreator

    King Sejong built the observation platform Ganuidae at Gyeongbokgung and had the simplified armillary (ganui) and armillary sphere (honcheonui) made.

  2. 2
    1434Gabin type castcreator

    Sejong had Yi Cheon, Jang Yeong-sil and others cast a new bronze type, the Gabin type, which became the model of Joseon movable type.

  3. 3
    1434Self-striking water clockcreator

    Jang Yeong-sil built the Jagyeongnu, a water clock that struck bells, drums and gongs on its own; it kept the official time at Gyeongbokgung.

  4. 4
    1434The Angbu Ilgu Sundialcreator

    The angbu ilgu, a sundial shaped like a cauldron facing the sky, was set up by the roads of Hanyang so ordinary people could tell the time.

  5. 5
    1441Rain gaugerelated figure

    Joseon made the cheugugi rain gauge and installed it in the capital and every county to record rainfall systematically.

Related works

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People who appear alongside

  • Sejong the Great1397 – 1450

    Fourth king of Joseon, creator of Hangul, patron of science and of the northern frontier

  • Jeong In-ji1396 – 1478

    Jiphyeonjeon scholar who wrote the preface to the Hunminjeongeum haerye and led the compilation of the Goryeosa

Themes this person appears in

  • Printing and Documentary HeritageAD 751 – 2011

    From the Dharani Sutra to the May 18 archives — woodblock and metal-type printing, and the records inscribed on the Memory of the World

  • Science and Technology HeritageAD 633 – 1861

    From Cheomseongdae to the Daedong yeojido — instruments and maps that measured the sky, kept time, gauged rain and charted the land