Reflections | Power sockets still not standardised? First Emperor unified China by standardising writing and measures 2,200 years ago
- Power adaptors being a travel necessity highlights the lack of standardisation in our world – we could learn from the First Emperor of China’s Qin dynasty
- Upon taking power in 221 BC, he unified China’s states through the introduction of a standard Chinese writing system, weights, measures, even carriage widths
I recently holidayed in Shikoku, the least visited of the four main islands of Japan, and had a wonderful time enjoying the sights (it was cherry blossom season), food and company.
A group of us living in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore travel together once a year, and it’s become something of an annual tradition since our first trip to Vietnam in 2016. For some of us, it’s the only time that we see each other.
In Shikoku, I couldn’t resist buying a few beautifully packaged boxes of comestibles, some condiments, and a few emergency pairs of socks and underwear (laundry day didn’t happen).
I also bought an adaptor for my electrical appliances because I had stupidly forgotten to pack one of the half-dozen or so adaptors sitting in the drawer at home.
It’s one of the great mysteries of the modern world why power plugs and sockets still aren’t standardised.