Chu people lived in Jingshan and Suishan from north to south. Therefore, from the Shang Dynasty to the early Spring and Autumn Period, agricultural production was still slash and burn, mainly planting millet. After Wu Chu and King Wen, the State of Chu opened to the south and the east, gradually occupied Jianghan Valley, learned from local residents how to grow rice with fire, and mastered the production technology of growing rice. "Biography of Historical Records of Huo Zhi" said: "The more vast and sparsely populated Chu is, there are rice soup fish, or there are fire and water." Ying Shao explained in the Eastern Han Dynasty: "Burning grass, planting rice in water, grass and rice are the same, seven or eight inches high. Because I learned it, I poured it in the water again. When the grass died, the rice grew. The so-called fire ploughing water is also. " (See Pei Qian's Collection of Historical Records. It is very common for ancient ancestors to burn wasteland, so whether planting millet or rice, we must first burn grass as fertilizer. Rice is "watered" again, weeds are removed and soaked in water, which is not only used as fertilizer, but also ensures the growth of rice. In Jianghan Plain, ancient agriculture has always been developed, and rice husk has been unearthed in Qujialing and Shijiahe cultural sites.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, bronze smelting in Chu was very developed. In addition to making ritual vessels, weapons and household appliances, we also made agricultural production tools for different purposes. It can be found in archaeological excavation materials, and the main tools are shovels, sickles, axes, chisels and cones (see the excavation report of Sixia Chu Tomb in Xichuan County, Henan Province, the Eastern Zhou Tomb in Shanwan, Xiangyang during the Spring and Autumn Period, a batch of bronzes unearthed in Xiguan, Nanyang City, and the trial excavation of Zigui Guanzhuangping Site). The appearance of copper sickle shows that the crop yield has been greatly improved. At that time, the slave owners and nobles of all countries used the slave masses to work, so there were few tools for bronze production, and Chu State was no exception.

At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period or during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Chu State not only forged "wrought iron", but also cast "pig iron", which was in a leading position in smelting iron and cast iron. Unearthed ironware includes iron knives, swords, concave hoes, ding, etc. (See archaeological excavation materials, including an iron knife unearthed from the Chu Tomb in Deshan, Changde, Hunan, an iron knife unearthed from the Chu Tomb in Longdongpo, Changsha, an iron concave hoe unearthed from the Chu Tomb in Zhiziling, Changsha, a sword, a chisel, a tripod unearthed from the Chu Tomb in Yangjiashan, Xichuan, an iron sword unearthed from the Chu Tomb in Simaochong, Changsha. Although the use of ironware is in the primary stage, and the number of ironware unearthed so far is not much, ironware, as a new productive factor, has played a significant role in promoting land reclamation, water conservancy construction and eventually leading to the emergence of new production relations. Generally speaking, with the use of iron farm tools, this new farming method in Niu Geng should also appear. However, since the plough has not been unearthed in Chu, it is difficult to conclude that Niu Geng was used in Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period. However, when Chen was destroyed as a county, Shen Shu used the fable of "seizing the field cattle" ("Eleven Years of Zuo Zhuan Gong Xuan"). ), King Kang of Chu had a doctor named Shi Qi and Li Ming (Twenty-four Years of Zuo Zhuan's Xiang Gong). ), judging from the fact that it was no accident when cattle were still ploughing, it was not impossible for Chu, like other countries in the Central Plains, to start using Niu Geng.

"Historical Records Biography of Rivers and Channels" says: "Chu land is connected to the fields of Hanshui and Yunmeng in the west and between Hehuai in the east." After Wu Chu and Wang Wen, they expanded from south to east and built ditches between Jianghan and Jianghuai, which laid the foundation for water conservancy and waterway transportation in Chu.

According to historical records, the earliest large-scale water conservancy project in Chu State was Shui Pi and Shaopi, which was built by Sun Shuai during the Chu Zhuangwang period. The former, such as "Huainanzi Human Training", said: "Sun Shuai decided to think about water, which was to irrigate Noda, and Zhuang Wang knew it could be a spiritual retreat." Its irrigation area is in the area of Sisi and Yilou, which is today's Gushi area in Henan Province. This is the earliest large-scale irrigation project in ancient China. The latter Sun Shuai built less skin, and Wang Xiang wrote Huang Lan, saying that during the Warring States Period, Chu Qing helped the king, and Dr. Chu thought of building less skin. For example, Biography of Wang Jingchuan in the Later Han Dynasty and Notes on Water Classics are located in the south of Shouxian County, Anhui Province.

This project, after Chu's death, was continuously maintained and utilized by successive dynasties, and became the "foundation of Huainan land tax" (Historical Records Reading Summary, Volume 21). "Historical Records Biography of Officials" Pei Jian quoted "Huanglan" and said: "Sun Shuaiao inspired Qu Shui to dream of the pool of osawa." Qushui, that is, Gushui water, merges with Zhangshui and flows into the Yangtze River. This large-scale water conservancy project in the lower reaches of Zhang Ju is obviously very beneficial to agricultural production in Jianghan Woye, including Du Ying. According to the record of Chu Food in the Seventh National Examination, Sun Shuai also "cut off the water in the tomb of Wen to make a pond to irrigate the fields".

In "Zhuangzi Heaven and Earth", Zi Gong "traveled south to Chu, fought against Jin, crossed Hanyin, and saw a lady dig a tunnel into a well and fill it with an urn". Zi Gong advised him to carry water with oranges. The husband replied, "I don't know, but I'm ashamed." It reflects that Chu did dig wells to irrigate fields and used orange peel, an advanced irrigation tool.

As can be seen from the above historical data, the water conservancy of Chu State was very developed in the Spring and Autumn Period, which not only diverted water for ponds (ponds), but also used for water storage irrigation. Dig a well to irrigate the field and get water on the spot. In 522 BC (the seventh year of King Chu Ping), Wu Zixu was wronged and fled, and King Chu Ping offered a reward for his capture. According to the laws of the State of Chu, the winner of Wu Zixu was awarded 50,000 grains of millet and was given a title (Biography of Historical Records and Wu Zixu). ) Wu Zixu and Wu Zetian helped He Lv, the prince of Wu, to attack Chu. In 506 BC, Wu people entered Ying, "burning the millet of Gao Fu and breaking the clock of Kowloon" ("Huai Nan Zi Tai Xun"). Others, such as Shu Xin Bi Er and Natural History, have similar records. All these records show that Chu is rich in grain, and there are "high houses" and "high houses" to store grain. It is very rare for countries to enjoy grain of 50 thousand stones in the Spring and Autumn Period.

According to "History of Chu Family", in 5 19 BC (the tenth year of King Ping of Chu), Chu and Wu also used the army to fight for mulberry for the folk women (children) on the border between the two countries and attacked each other, indicating that Chu's mulberry planting and sericulture industry has also been generally developed in Jianghuai area. As for other agricultural and sideline businesses, the "garden bed" mentioned in the above-mentioned Zhuangzi refers to the garden where vegetables, fruits and trees are planted, which shows that the agricultural and sideline businesses and cash crops in Chu have also developed greatly. With the development of agriculture, Chu's handicraft industry has also developed greatly, mainly in bronze casting, iron smelting, silk weaving and wood lacquer industry.

The development of bronze industry in Chu was realized with the Chu people's southward entry into the east. After Xiong's illness and external expansion, the Chu Dynasty became Muzhuang, entering Jianghan in the south, fighting for the Central Plains in the north, expanding Jianghuai in the east, learning from summer and learning from foreigners, and eclectic.

Tonglushan Mountain in Daye, Hubei Province is the main base of domestic copper in Chu State. According to the archaeological excavation data and the research of relevant experts, the copper mine is underground mining, and the method of combining vertical shaft, inclined shaft, drift and blind shaft is adopted. In order to ensure safety, a mine support was set up on the mine, and a wooden sink was laid under it to prevent the damage caused by collapsed water. Mining tools mainly include copper axe and bamboo, wood and stone making tools. After the ore is taken out, the furnace is built on the spot for smelting. The furnace is vertical, including bottom, hearth and furnace body. Due to the on-site treatment of slag, a large amount of copper slag remains. According to the test, the copper content of copper slag is 7%, which shows that the technical level of copper smelting is very high. After the Chu State smelted copper here, it was transported to Du Ying and other places to be cast into different types of bronzes.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, a large number of Chu bronzes were unearthed in Hubei, Henan, Hunan and other places. In the casting process, the Chu people mastered the casting welding method, casting inlay method and wax loss method. The so-called separate casting welding is to cast the car body and accessories separately, and then weld them with copper and tin as flux. The so-called casting inlay is because the decoration is complex, which needs to be trimmed first, put into a bronze mold, then closed and poured into copper liquid for casting. The so-called lost wax means that after making a wax model, carving patterns or shapes of objects, the outer surface of the wax model is coated with mud (a mixture of soil and carbon), hardened to form a mold, and then the wax model is heated and melted, so that the casting machine can be made. These casting techniques mastered by Chu in the middle and late Spring and Autumn Period were very advanced at that time and first-class in the world (Zhang's Cultural History of Chu). ) The bronzes unearthed in Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period mainly include ritual vessels, musical instruments, weapons, utensils and production tools. Like other countries in the Central Plains, ding is the most ritual vessel. Because of its special shape, Chu Ding is called Chu Ding by archaeologists, including Yu Ding ([Ding Yu]), ([Ding Sheng]) and Hu Ding ([Jusu] Xing). Other ritual vessels and household appliances include reeds, lamps, bowls, pots and pans. Musical instruments are mainly chimes, including chimes, buttons and chimes. 52 chimes unearthed from Si Xia Chu Tomb in Xichuan. Chu people are martial, so Chu bronze weapons are numerous and well-made, including ge, spear, halberd, sword, cymbal, dagger and arrow. The decorative patterns of Chu bronzes are roughly the same as those of Central Plains countries, but they are more delicate and feminine in expression and have their own characteristics. Decorative patterns mainly include flat flies, flat flies, dragons and phoenixes, stolen songs, animal faces (gluttonous patterns), Yun Leiwen, bird patterns, round vortex patterns and so on.

With the improvement of copper processing technology, Chu also mastered iron smelting technology in the middle and late Spring and Autumn Period. According to archaeological excavations, ironware has been unearthed in Hubei, Hunan, Henan and other places, and the number seen is not much. 1976 The steel sword unearthed from the Chu Tomb of Yangjiashan in Changsha is the earliest steel weapon found in China at present, with a carbon content of 0.56% (the steel sword and ironware in the late Spring and Autumn Period were newly discovered in Changsha (cultural relic number 1978).

During the Spring and Autumn Period, the silk industry of Chu State also developed greatly. For example, there is a record of "jade and silk" in Guoyu Chu Yu, and "Biography of Funny Records" says that Chu Zhuangwang loved horses and once embroidered clothes with words. Chu Family History and other records show that the children of Yi people in Chu and Wu fought for mulberry, which led to the war between the two countries, directly indicating that Chu and Wu attached importance to sericulture and silk reeling. Silkworm patterns (bronzes) unearthed in Liu Xia, Hengdong, Hunan (Zhou Shirong's Silkworm Patterns and Warrior Boots (Archaeology No.6, 1979)) are vivid examples of planting mulberry and raising silkworms.

A large number of lacquerware unearthed in Chu State are well-made. According to Teng Rensheng's research statistics, there are 6 pieces of lacquerware unearthed in the Spring and Autumn Period, including lacquerware, ear cups, cups, beans, bronze dings inlaid with black lacquer, etc. Other unearthed lacquerware, some of which are unknown in shape and some of which are poorly preserved, are difficult to determine (Research on Lacquerware of Chu by Teng Rensheng (published by Hong Kong Liangmu Publishing House, 199 1, 1) and the lacquerware in the fourth chapter of Chu Culture History edited by Zhang. Lacquerware is a symbol of the development of social productive forces and the improvement of material living standards. On the one hand, it reflects the social and economic development of Chu and the living standards of Chu people.

Chu's architectural technology has made great progress. After the Spring and Autumn Period, in order to compete for the hegemony of the north, Chu connected the dams it passed along Funiu Mountain, stretching for hundreds of miles from north to south, and was called the "Square City" of the Great Wall of Chu. In 656 BC (the 16th year of King Chu), Qi Huangong led eight armies from the Central Plains to attack the State of Chu, and the King of Chu also led the army northward. After the defeat, he claimed that "Chu Fangcheng thought it was a city, and Hanshui thought it was a pool", forcing an alliance with Chu to call the mausoleum. It can be seen that the construction of Fangcheng had already begun before this. The architecture of Fangcheng pays attention to local conditions. On the one hand, it builds a city along the mountain shape, on the other hand, it builds dikes along the river bank. This is undoubtedly a great creation of military architecture and played a very important role in ancient wars.

Ying Du (Jinan) is built along hilly terrain, with Jishan Mountain in the north, Baling Mountain in the west, Yutai Mountain in the northeast and lakes (Hu Miao Lake, Haizi Lake and Changhu Lake) in the east. The climate is pleasant, you don't have to worry about floods, and you can also divert water into the city to facilitate water transportation. The layout of the urban area is also very suitable, with the imperial city and noble residence in the east and the smelting workshop area in the southwest. Chengmen No.3 Road, with wide middle door and narrow side door, is divided into people and vehicles, and the traffic is orderly. In order to draw water into the city, a sluice was built, which is more than 3 meters wide and convenient for boating. This is the earliest sluice construction project in ancient China. The height and width of the city wall are equal, strong and stable. Ramming is used in the wall building, and the thickness of each layer is only about 10 cm, which is solid and reliable. Palace buildings are numerous and complicated.

In addition to the imperial palace, there are many divorces of the Chu royal family, such as Zhu Gong Palace, zhanghua Palace (Taiwan), Jingtai Palace and Suju Palace. Zhanghua Palace (Taiwan Province) built by King Chu Ling is a famous detached palace in ancient China. Its site is in Longwan, Qianjiang, Hubei Province (there are always different opinions about the site of zhanghua Palace (Taiwan Province)). In addition to today's Qianjiang Longwan, there are today's Jianli Tianzhu Mountain, today's Zhanghua Temple in Shashi, the ancient Ruyang City in Henan Mall, and the father's territory of Bo County, Anhui Province. Chu people have the custom of moving to a new house and still attacking the old name. Therefore, there are many places in zhanghua Palace where Chu Jun (the king) left the palace, and all the above statements are possible. After many investigations and excavations in the 1980s, many cultural relics have been unearthed, which is the most complete Chu Palace complex seen so far. Among them, the red brick with tube tile, slab tile and rectangular shape was unearthed in Yingying Terrace, which shows that the technology of firing bricks and tiles has been mastered in the period of King Chu Ling, and bricks and tiles have been used as building materials. A bronze knocker was also unearthed and used as a building material. Abutment is a rammed earth structure with square columns and columns, which are thicker than the columns of ordinary houses. Below the veranda is a paved surface made of shells, which is firm and beautiful (Chen Yuejun's Investigation and Trial Excavation of Zhanghuatai Site in Longwan, Qianjiang, Hubei Province (Proceedings of the Symposium on Chu Zhanghuatai compiled by Hubei Archaeological Society, May 1988). From then on, it is enough to show that in the middle and late Spring and Autumn Period, the palace architecture of Chu State, whether it is building materials or construction technology, has reached an advanced level. It is "the first pavilion in ancient China" and "as the originator of palace buildings and garden buildings, it also plays an important role in the history of world architecture" (Zhang's Notes on the Site of Zhanghuatai (Proceedings of Zhanghuatai Academic Seminar compiled by Hubei Archaeological Society, 18).

Chu also has underground palace buildings. According to Zuozhuan's Twelve Years of Success, in 579 BC (King of Chu * * *), he was hired by Chu and joined the League. Zi Chu, opposite the son, hanging for the ground room. I will be on the chessboard, then I will play with it, and I will come out in shock. " Chu made a basement in the palace, where he hung bells and drums to play music. Whether it is a palace building or a musical effect played by bells and drums, it is a kind of creation. According to Zuo Zhuan's Twenty-one Years of Xianggong, in the summer of 552 BC (the eighth year of King Chu Kang), Chu made Yin Zigeng die, and King Chu Kang wanted to make him Yin. Zifeng was worried about the political instability of the country, so she pretended to be ill and lived in the basement, "sleeping under the ice" and "heavy cocoon and clothing", which was cold and sultry. It can be seen that due to the hot summer in Chu, the royal family and aristocratic mansion built basements to escape the heat.

In addition, due to the needs of foreign operations, Chu has been able to manufacture cars and ships. According to the "building car" and "nest car" in Zuo Zhuan's Fifteen Years of Gong Xuan and Zuo Zhuan's Sixteen Years of Chenggong, it shows that Chu State widely used chariots in the period of Chu Zhuang and * * *. "Zuo Zhuan Xiang Gong Twenty-four Years" contains: "It is a master on the ship who defeated Wu." In the middle and late Spring and Autumn Period, Chu had built a large number of warships and trained the navy, and launched a fierce battle with Wu. According to the relevant chapters in Mozi, Lu Ban went to Chu State to create a "boat boat" and "ladder" for Chu State to attack the city, indicating that the vehicle and boat manufacturing industry in Chu State was relatively developed at that time. With the development of agriculture and handicrafts, the commerce and cities of Chu began to prosper in the Spring and Autumn Period.

Chu's superior natural conditions and rich products are the basic conditions for Chu's commercial development. "Gong Yu" contains: "Jing and Hengyang are only Jingzhou. ..... The duke's feathers, hair, teeth, leather, but gold. [Wooden Tun], [Ten/Early | Man/Ten], [Wooden Tongue], Cypress, Sharp, Gravel, [Slave/Stone], Dan, Danjun [Bamboo/Road] and [Muku] are three countries. Bao Maojing, Jue Xuan [Xun] Gui Group. The turtle in Jiujiang. Floating in the river, Tuo, Qian, Han, surpassing Luo, as for the South River. " (Historical Records Xia Benji and Han geography records are basically the same. It can be seen that after the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, Chu's rich products were continuously imported into the Central Plains. After the Spring and Autumn Period, the economic exchanges between Chu and Central Plains countries became more active. When Zhong Er (Jin Wengong), the son of the Jin Dynasty, was exiled to Chu State, he once said to King Chu Cheng, "If your children have a lot of jade, you can have them. Feather tooth armor, then you are born. All the people who passed to the state of Jin were kings. " (Zuo Zhuan Xi Gong Twenty-three Years). ) "The Light and Heavy Tube E" contains: "Huan Gong's city of a hundred miles makes people buy deer. When the number of deer born in Chu reaches 80 thousand, Chu people will release their farmers and field deer. " It can be seen that Chu in the Central Plains at that time had very close economic contacts with so-called "going abroad" such as Jin and Qi. Zheng and Chen are the middle zone between Chu and Qi Jin, and also the hub of economic exchange between Chu and Xia. "Biography of Historical Records and Huo Zhi" said: "At the turn of Chu and Xia, Chen knew the goods of fish and salt, and there were many people." Therefore, the exchange of goods between Chu and Central Plains countries also benefited from the merchants of Zheng, Chen and other countries.

The development of Chu's commerce is inseparable from the implementation of the mercantile policy. According to Records of Historical Records and Biography of Huo Zhi, Chu Zhuangwang thinks that money is light and small is more important. As a result, the people were inconvenient and went to work. When the city order was reflected to your son Sun Shuai, Sun Shuai immediately ordered the old coins to be restored. Then he said to Chu Zhuangwang, "The day before yesterday, the coin was changed, thinking it was light. Today's market order says,' chaos in the city makes people uneasy, and going down is uneasy'. I beg you to make it. " Chu Zhuangwang agreed, "within three days, the city will be restored to its original state".

Chu's pursuit of hegemony in the north is not only military expansion, but also taking Xia as a teacher, vigorously expanding economic and cultural exchanges with advanced countries and building a strong country. In 579 BC (the twelfth year of King Chu * * *), Jin and Chu reached the Song Men League, which read: "There is no way to make friends; You can't discuss it if you don't agree. " ("Zuo Zhuan Cheng Gong Twelve Years"). ) fully embodies Chu's emphasis on economic exchanges and strives to protect the normal conduct of commercial and trade activities. Chu also gave generous treatment to businessmen from other countries. For example, it is reported in Zuo Zhuan's Three Years of Success that Jin people who were originally captured by Chu knew that Zheng Shang planned to help them escape. Later, Jin and Chu exchanged prisoners and Zhiji was released back to China. The fact that the merchants of Zheng helped the prisoners of Jin escape in Chu State shows that Chu State has implemented a protection policy for the merchants of other countries, and foreign businessmen are more free to do business in Chu State. In 506 BC, when the Wu people entered Ying and the country was in crisis, the sheep butcher who opened a "mutton shop" stepped forward to protect Zhao Chu, the king of the country, and fled. Later, King Zhao Chu returned to China and wanted to reward him, but he refused and went to open his mutton shop. It can be seen that only when Chu attaches importance to business and respects business can businessmen feel at ease in their careers. With the development of commerce, money also appeared. "Louis of agricultural, industrial and commercial transactions, Qian Chang of turtle shell." Historical records. ) During the Spring and Autumn Period, shells were mainly used by the State of Chu. For example, a large number of shells were unearthed in the tomb of Sixia Chu in Zhejiang. These seashells enter the Chu market from all over the coast. According to the records of the historian Yue Jia, Chu has "San Qian" currency, that is, metal currency. Copper coins are mainly copper shells, oval, flat on the back, convex on the front, with characters, shaped like ants, and nostrils in the mouth, so they are called ant nose money. It is also called "turtle face money" because it is similar to the word "Bei" in ancient Chinese and looks like a human face. Chu Zhuangwang, who mentioned above, thinks that coins are very light, and "the smaller they are, the bigger they are", which leads to market confusion and has to cancel the change order. This coin should be made of copper.

Whether there were gold and silver coins in the Spring and Autumn Period or not, the academic circles have different opinions, which may lead to doubts about when Chu gold and silver coins came into being. There have always been different opinions in academic circles, which can be summarized into two kinds: it originated in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. As for the specific year of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, opinions vary. Like the Spring and Autumn Period, Shu Zhimei thinks that "Chu gold coins were cast in the Spring and Autumn Period" (Development of Chu Economy, Jianghan Forum No.4, 1984). Zhu Huo thinks that "casting gold from Chu State in the late Spring and Autumn Period is really close to love" (A New Exploration of Ancient Money, Qilu Bookstore, 1984, 1 Edition). Huang Dexin also holds this view that "gold was brewed in the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, and it was not officially produced until the end of the Spring and Autumn Period" (Research on Chu Gold, Guangming Daily, 199 1, 1 version). According to the Warring States, there are different opinions about the appearance of gold before and after the eastward movement of Chen Ying in 278 BC. Wang Guowei pointed out in his Postscript of Guan Tang Jilin Bieyin Ji Jinzi: "His words are full of clouds and Chen Kui. The ancient capital of Ying and Chen, almost after Chu moved to Shouchun, still used gold as currency. " I believe there will be gold coins after moving eastward. Peng Xinwei further believes that the gold coins were cast after King Gaolie of Chu moved to Shouchun (History of Chinese Currency, Shanghai People's Publishing House, 2nd edition, 1965). Zhang's "History of Chu Culture" said: "The known pre-Qin gold and silver coins are all from Chu. However, the casting age of the existing pre-Qin gold and silver coins may all belong to the late Warring States period, at least we have no sufficient reason to say that some of them belong to before the mid-Warring States period.