Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 479 Visiting New Technology

"Actually, because of the power provided by the steam engine, our new textile machine can already drive [-] spindles." The director of the textile factory who accompanied them to visit the textile factory introduced them.

"The use of machines has brought about some changes for us. You can all see that although the military master encourages men to wear short hair, there are also men who still keep long hair. But the workers who operate the machines in our factories, both men and women, have to wear long hair. Short hair. Long hair is easy to be caught in the machine and cause disaster.” The factory manager added.

"So there are so many details!" Xiong Wencan and others opened their eyes.

"Is the steam engine this big guy? How does it work?" Shen Youlong asked curiously.

"Roughly when coal is burned, water vapor will expand to form power and drive the textile machine to run. To give a simple example, if the teapot we use has no holes, when the water boils, the lid of the pot will be hit by steam Open. This is the power of water vapor." The factory manager introduced enthusiastically.

"I've never paid attention to this kind of thing. It seems that our ability to learn from things is not enough." Shen Youlong never thought that the principle of boiling water could be applied to the textile industry.

"Ordinary people can't figure out this kind of thing for 100 years. It needs the wisdom of the masses to discover it, and it also needs talents who specialize in these subjects. Originally, at the beginning, one of our textile machines It can only drive eight spindles, and the ten-fold increase in efficiency is because we have not only used steam engines as power in the past five years, but also continue to improve the design." The factory manager said.

Dozens of high-ranking officials watched curiously the steam weaving machine running non-stop. Officials from areas with developed handicraft industry had already begun to think of steam engines and new weaving machines.

"I think Suzhou city needs this kind of machine very much. With the efficiency brought by this kind of machine and the reputation of our Suzhou embroidery being famous all over the world, it will definitely be sold well everywhere." The prefect of Suzhou said.

"We also need steam engines in Fuzhou City!" Shen Youlong said.

"Excuse me, Guangzhou government needs this kind of machine even more." Xiong Wencan raised his eyebrows.

"If the six prefectures of Shandong can obtain this machine, then the silk cloth produced in Shandong can be sold to Japan, Korea and other countries."

Officials on the southeast coast seemed to see the broad prospects of the steam engine and argued with each other.It's not just a matter of increasing production capacity. The key is that the military leader Chu Yun's evaluation of officials' achievements is different from that of previous courts, and he attaches great importance to the increase of production capacity.If you can get this new type of machine technology into the scope of your own jurisdiction, then the performance evaluation will be stable.

"You don't need to worry, this technology will definitely be promoted to various provincial capitals according to the plan. However, for the sake of confidentiality, we must strictly control the production technology of steam engines. Only the government is qualified to produce steam engines. If the folks want to use them, It needs to be purchased from the government and registered for the record.” The factory manager said, “Our steam engines here are also produced by Liaodong Machinery Factory, all we need to master is the technology used.”

"Is Liaodong Machinery Factory also in Dalian Port?" Xiong Wencan asked.

"No, the Liaodong Machinery Factory is located in Liaodong City, which is close to the Anshan mining field, which is convenient for production. Our cities are complementary and can give full play to their respective strengths. Dalian Port develops foreign trade, handicrafts, shipbuilding, and fisheries. Jinzhou City is a cultural center, but with the transfer of the military master to the capital, it should be merged with Dalian Port to form Jinzhou Prefecture. Liaodong City is an industrial city, producing various machinery and equipment. Gaizhou, Fuzhou, and Haizhou are Pay equal attention to mining and agriculture," explained the factory manager.

"We should also learn from this complementary relationship in other places, so that we can carry out division of labor and cooperation more efficiently." Xiong Wencan nodded in agreement.

Due to the different natural locations, different cities should make full use of local resources and opportunities to develop towards favorable industries.If people follow what others say, then all cities will develop the same industry, and it is estimated that it will eventually lead to fierce and vicious competition.

"Officials, we will go to the inn to rest for a while, and then visit the shipyard. Then we will take the train to Anshan Town, Liaodong City, and finally return to the Academy of Sciences in Jinzhou City for a short lecture," the captain said. .

"Okay, I have learned a lot from this trip, and I want to write it down so that the officials of the Guangzhou government can broaden their horizons and get in touch with new technologies." Xiong Wencan said.

After resting at the inn in Dalian Port, these officials visited the three branches of the Royal Shipyard, where shipwrights were busy on each production line.In particular a steam ironclad under construction attracted their idea.

It was the first time they had seen the construction of ironclad ships.The ironclad ship is still in the middle of construction, and the interior can be seen.Analyzing the iron-clad ship at such a close distance made these high-ranking officials less intimidated.

People always have a natural fear of things they are not familiar with, but in fact, once they are familiar with them, they will not be at a loss.This is why Chu Yun specially arranged this training.The main purpose is to eliminate the fear of the original officials of the Ming Dynasty, and to update their concepts so that they can realize the development of productivity brought about by new technologies.

After that, a group of officials saw Dalian Port at night again.On the main street, bright street lights illuminate the surroundings, and there are lighthouses on the pier, and there are even lights on the pier, so that goods can be moved even at night, and ships can freely enter and exit Dalian Port.

A very small number of wealthy businessmen in Dalian Port have also started to use expensive electric lights. Electricity is provided by the government, and they have to pay expensive electricity bills every month.But it's a status symbol!If anyone's house is still brightly lit at night, it is the richest house in Dalian Port!And electric lights provide a lot of convenience, which cannot be realized when using candles.

The group of officials then traveled to the Anshan mining site on a never-before-seen train.The mining farm uses a large steam engine to pump groundwater, and still uses a large amount of new gunpowder for blasting!Then there is the steelmaking plant and machinery manufacturing plant in Liaodong City. Except for the production of guns and cannons, which are classified, the officials from other factories have visited them.

All of these made the officials of the Ming Dynasty amazed. Although they still could not understand many of the principles of these factories, they began to understand why the Ming Dynasty was so powerless in front of the Kyushu Army. The basic industrial system can be self-sufficient!

(End of this chapter)