▁References ▁ ▁A ctor ▁Category : A wards ▁for ▁best ▁cinemat ography <0x0A> </s> ▁X i ang f eng ▁w u ▁() ▁were ▁wind ▁surve ying ▁instruments ▁used ▁to ▁gather ▁and ▁measure ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁wind ▁in ▁ancient ▁China . ▁ ▁History ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁in vention ▁of ▁X i ang f eng ▁w u , ▁the ▁ancient ▁Chinese ▁used ▁pieces ▁of ▁sil k ▁or ▁cloth ▁that ▁was ▁hung ▁on ▁a ▁pole ▁to ▁measure ▁wind ▁direction . ▁Ep ig raph ic ▁evidence ▁att rib uting ▁to ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁weather ▁crow ▁on ▁a ▁wall ▁painting ▁in ▁a ▁tomb ▁d ating ▁to ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Han ▁dynast y ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁The ▁San fu ▁hu ang tu ▁( 三 <0xE8> <0xBC> <0x94> 黃 <0xE5> <0x9C> <0x96> , ▁Description ▁of ▁the ▁Three ▁District s ▁in ▁the ▁Capital ), ▁a ▁ 3 rd - century ▁book ▁written ▁by ▁M iao ▁Ch ang yan ▁about ▁the ▁pal aces ▁at ▁Ch ang ' an , ▁describes ▁a ▁co pper ▁bird - sh aped ▁wind ▁van e ▁situated ▁on ▁a ▁tower ▁roof ▁for ▁the ▁measurement ▁of ▁wind ▁direction . ▁ ▁X i ang f eng ▁w u ▁composed ▁of ▁co pper ▁s lices ▁that ▁were ▁fixed ▁on ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁a ▁pole ▁which ▁could ▁be ▁revol ved ▁if ▁the ▁wind ▁was ▁blow ing ▁in ▁a ▁certain ▁direction . ▁X i ang f eng ▁w u ▁were ▁first ▁used ▁in ▁meteor ological ▁observ ator ies ▁and ▁were ▁later ▁installed ▁in ▁government ▁to wers ▁and ▁private ▁houses