The Boat of Asia

"You know, the Chinese have forgotten more about sailing than the rest of the world ever knew. They invented the compass, they invented watertight compartments, they invented stern rudders and the most efficient sail in the world. Junks are ancient boats, more than five thousand years old, and extremely seaworthy, good for long voyages. And I've always been mad for the Chinese poets."

Reference:
Proulx, E. Annie. The Shipping News. New York, NY: Touchstone, 1993. ISBN: 0-671-51005-3. Winner of the Pulitzer prize: page 94

The Asian Sweep Oar 摇橹 yáolǔ
The sweep oar is typically rested upon a fulcrum situated over the stern. Sometimes it would be situated over a side of the boat. The sweep is moved back and forth like the tail of a fish to propel the boat forward. An Asian proverb, 一橹三桨, translates to: one sweep equals three oars.

Commonly moving heavy loads, or accomplishing complex tasks with the simplest of equipment, the toughness of Asians have been noted.

Above is an example of a larger, side situated, sweep oar actively handled by three people. Despite a medieval stage of material development, the concept of scalability was understood and used in ancient Asia.

For more information regarding the sweep oar, please visit http://amuseum.cdstm.cn/AMuseum/ancitech/science/03/s1c_ab03.html