A lifebuoy is a tool that people rely on to survive when they are in distress on the water. In summer, when going swimming, for safety reasons, people often like to bring lifebuoys. Novice swimmers prefer to accompany them, and even sailors who are familiar with water always have several lifebuoys on each ship when going out to sea. In the past, some people thought that life buoys were introduced into China from Europe and the United States. In fact, life buoys were invented by Chinese people.

As early as two or three thousand years ago, China had "lifebuoys", which were dried gourds and melons. In the Book of Changes, it is said: 'To fill the wilderness, use the Feng River.' According to Mr. Guo Moruo's explanation, it means' crossing the river with gourds and melons. '. In the Book of Songs, it is also said that "there are bitter leaves, and deep involvement in charity". Mr. Wen Yiduo translated this record in the Book of Songs as: "When the leaves are tapped and the gourds are dried, they can be used as waist boats." We believe that the meaning of these two lines of poetry is that holding dried gourds and melons can make the body float on the water surface without drowning. This gourd is the primitive life-saving equipment. Later on, most ships sailing at sea carried gourds and melons as a precautionary measure. From this, it can be seen that ancient Chinese people used dried gourds and melons to float across rivers, which is the primitive lifebuoy.

In the Song Dynasty, the production method of lifebuoys greatly advanced. Some people began to weave soft wood, reeds, and other materials into a circular object, allowing people to drill in and support their bodies. This circular lifebuoy was much more convenient to use than gourds and melons, and thus became a true "lifebuoy". The Song people called it a "floating ring". According to the book "Song Dynasty Grass and Grass Collection", Han Shizhong, a famous anti Jin general in the Song Dynasty, once sent his generals to resist the enemy at Jinshan. Before leaving, Han Shizhong ordered him not to cross the river by boat to avoid being discovered by the enemy. So the royal power gave each local soldier a circular floating ring made of cork, and asked them to tie the floating ring around their waist to cross the river. The soldiers quietly crossed the river under the leadership of the royal power, but the Jin people were completely unaware and were ambushed, resulting in the complete annihilation of their army. The floating ring used by the royal power at that time was the predecessor of modern lifebuoys.

In modern times, with the application of new technologies and materials, various life-saving equipment have emerged one after another: lifeboats, life jackets, everything is complete. But the traditional equipment of lifebuoys is still preserved and used by people, and it is still a simple life-saving tool. When sailing, sailors still place lifebuoys in conspicuous places such as ship decks, and paint them with red and white colors. Some lifebuoys are also equipped with self illuminating floating lights, making it easy to identify the location of the drowning person, whether it is day or night. Rescue ships can track the signs and quickly rush to the scene of the accident to rescue the drowning person who is fighting with the waves.