Chugugi
What is it?
Examine the pictures
What one thing, that changes frequently, has an impact on our everyday lives?
Looks a bit like a common barrel, doesn't it?
Maybe a perfume bottle?
Does this help?
The weather.
The weather impacts what we do, where we go, what we eat and how we feel. Hence, the importance of the invention of the rain gauge and the record keeping associated with it.
Chugugi: The world's first rain gauge
The brainchild of Munjong, oldest son of Sejong, this gauge was invented in Korea in 1441. The specifications for the making of the chugugi and the record keeping associated with the rainfall were all prescribed in 1442. There is a precise record of how the Chugugi was designed and how models were distributed by the government to each of the Provinces. This record can be found in the Royal Annals of the Choson Dynasty.
The remarkable thing about the rain gauge is that there has been no real improvement since its inception. A good reason for the Chugugi being considered one of the 50 wonders of Korea.