Hardware refers to five metals. The word "hardware" first appeared in "Wu Yue Spring and Autumn Annals" 4 "Lu Inner Biography", minister Wen Yue king often asked Ou Yezi to make five swords, a Zhan Lu, hardware of the English, the essence of the sun.
Hardware refers to five metals. The word hardware first appeared in the "Wu Yue Spring and Autumn Annals" four "Lu Internal biography" : "I heard that the King of Yue often asked Ouyezi to make five swords... Zhan Lu, the king of hardware, the essence of the sun." According to "The History of The Han Dynasty · food and goods" on 'jin, dao, turtle, shell' note: "gold, that the five colors of gold, yellow yue gold, white yue silver, red yue copper, green yue lead, black yue iron." "Modern Chinese Dictionary" explains: hardware refers to gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, generally refers to metals. Today's hardware is commonly used for metal or copper iron products collectively.

The further application of metals has played an important role in the development of human civilization. Metal products appeared in every corner of economic life, political life and military activities. Zhejiang Yongkang, for example, has been known as the "hometown of 100 workers" since ancient times, and the hardware handicraft industry has a long history. Since the southern Song Dynasty, yongkang coppersmiths and blacksmiths have traveled to the north and south to make a living. In history, there is a saying that "hardware craftsmen go everywhere, and every county and county never leaves Kang".

History into the modern industrial society, metal-hardware products industry is developing rapidly, hardware industry in the development of national economy played an immeasurable role, hardware products have become an indispensable industrial link of industrial manufacturing.