Yin Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Turban (jīn) Character: ru Kangxi Strokes: 9 Page 331, Entry 09 Pronounced ru In the Analysis of Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it is defined as a turban. Another source defines it as a decorative cloth. In the Dialect (Fangyan) by Yang Xiong, a large cloth is called ru. In the region south of Mount Song and near the Ying River, it is referred to as ru, and also as meng. According to the Extended Dictionary (Guangyun), it refers to a banner cloth. According to the Orthography Dictionary (Zhengyun), it refers to the cloth of a banner. It also refers to the reinforcement in the middle of a bow. In the Record of Trades (Kaogongji) of the Rites of Zhou (Zhouli), it is stated that if the bow-maker makes the reinforcement thick, the wood becomes rigid; if the reinforcement is thin, it becomes flexible. The commentary states that the term refers to the reinforcement in the middle of the bow. The sub-commentary explains that in the art of making bows, even when the bow frame is made of hard wood, it must be reinforced to ensure it is properly balanced.