Ancient China elites used water fans, ice to cool down in summer; folks had bamboo pillows

In ancient China, summer heat could be deadly long before the advent of air conditioning. To survive it, people resorted to remedies ranging from imperial ice sculptures and water-powered fans to the more carefree practice of dressing minimally. One of the most devastating examples occurred during the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), when an extreme heatwave swept across northern China. Lacking modern weather stations, officials documented the disaster through...

By Zoey Zhang