The instrument was devised by the Song Chinese mathematician and inventor Qin Jiushao in 1247.
[1][2] As precipitation was for important agriculture and food production, the Song Chinese mathematician and inventor Qin Jiushao developed a precipitation gauge that was widely used in 1247 during the Southern Song dynasty to gather meteorological data.
[3][4] Tianchi basins were installed at provincial and district capitals and bamboo snow gauges were situated in mountain passes.
The rain gauges were bowl-shaped with one being installed at each provincial and district capital in China.
In the treatise, Qin Jiushao also discusses how point measurements were converted to real averages.