Su Daocheng drives his invention, a mechanical horse, in Shiyan, Central China's Hubei province, on Jan 18. [Photo/CFP]

Mechanical horse invented to honor legend

The affection modern people display to their ancestors' wisdom never withers.

Su Daocheng, a retired worker and invention enthusiast, created a 1.5-meter-tall, 2-meter-long and 250 kg mechanical horse by using a kart engine and some chains and irons to imitate a famous but lost invention.

"Muniuliuma", a freight transport vehicle recorded in history, was believed to have been invented by Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu Kingdom in the Three Kingdoms period (AD220-280). It is said that the invention transported army provisions on rugged roads without consuming energy and costing much labor.

Unlike "Muniuliuma", the mechanical horse Su invented needs oil as fuel but it can be as useful as a meal-free "farm cattle".

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