In ancient China, before the advent of mechanical clocks and digital devices, people relied mainly on night watchmen to keep time, prevent fires and maintain their daily routines. But how did the watchmen tell the time? Chinese night watchmen mainly used two methods: clepsydras and incense sticks.
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October 25, 2026 at 10:00 AM
How ancient Chinese night watchmen patrolled streets, used ‘dripping buckets’ to tell time
SCMP News
Excerpt from SCMP News.