Background

Waterwheel and windmill are the earliest machines operated by the power of natural forces. Waterwheel is a tool to hoist water for irrigation. China was the first in the world to make and use waterwheels. Historical records show that as early as in the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) waterwheel was used for irrigation, operated by wind or water. Standing by a river or a stream, waterwheel, its vanes driven by the flow of water, revolved slowly, lifting water to irrigated farmlands. Windmill is a mechanical device powered by natural wind. The Netherlands is located in the westerlies of the earth, where wind blows all year wound. From the 15th to the 18th century, the Netherlanders built a lot of windmills for land reclamation and processing industry. So the country won the name "Land of Windmills". As a symbol of the Netherlandish culture, windmill is still deeply loved by the people of the Netherlands.

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