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A key is not enough: unlocking the mystery of ancient Chinese complex puzzle locks

  • Experts analysed a type of Chinese locks that require extra thought to open
  • They identified four types of locks, such as forcing users to solve a maze

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Chinese-style padlock keys can often include creative ‘puzzles’ for opening. Photo: Handout
Kevin McSpadden

For a certain set of Chinese locks, simply having the key is not enough to access the prize. Opening the lock requires either previous knowledge or a degree of ingenuity to solve these “complex puzzle locks”.

People trying to retrieve or steal valuable goods may find that the lock contains an obstacle, or the opening mechanism is more like a maze they need to solve.
“Even with the correct key, puzzle padlocks were still difficult to open, which often made those who had to unlock them feel annoyed and worried that they would be unable to unlock them,” said Hsiao Kuo-Hung, a researcher at the National Science and Technology Museum in Taiwan and a co-author of a study published in Nature in early July.
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Complex puzzle locks often required the user to “rack their brains” to figure out how to open it even if they have all the necessary tools.

The study, written by experts in Taiwan and mainland China, studied locks made between 1800 and the 1950s and published a deep dive into these kinds of locks. They identified four separate types: additional obstacle locks, maze locks, two-section locks, and hidden-keyhole locks.

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Within these lock types are innumerable variations that, the authors wrote, showed the extraordinary technique and ingenuity of ancient craftsmen.

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