Song Yingxing publishes his Tiangong Kaiwu (Exploitation of the Works of Nature), considered one of the most valuable encyclopedias of classical China, in May 1637.

It covers a wide variety of technical subjects, including the use of gunpowder weapons.

Featuring detailed illustrations that are to prove valuable for historians in understanding many early Chinese production processes, the technical encyclopedia of the Tiangong Kaiwu is divided into separate chapters with broad overall themes, which include agriculture, irrigation, and hydraulic engineering; sericulture and textile technology; agriculture and milling processes; salt technology; sugar technology; ceramics industry; bronze metallurgy; transportation; ships and carts; iron metallurgy; coal, vitriol, sulfur, and arsenic; oil technology; papermaking; metallurgy of silver, lead, copper, tin, and zinc; military technology; mercury; ink; fermented beverages; and pearls and jade.