CHINESE CIVILIZATION

(Scientific and Technological Breakthroughs)

Ancient China held leading used in Feng Shui, the layout of buildings. By
positions in many fields in studying 1000 AD, navigational compasses were
nature in the world. Besides the four commonly used on Chinese ships, enabling
great inventions – papermaking, printing, them to navigate. Arab traders sailing to
gunpowder and the compass, Ancient China might learned of the tech and brought
China contributed countless other it to the West.
inventions to the world, how many other
creations do you know? Below is a list of
the inventions created by ancient Chinese
and some may surprise you.

*PAPER MAKING (105 A.C). The invention

of paper greatly affects human history. Paper
SILK (6,000 years ago). Silk was a soft
already existed in China since 105 A.C,
material much desired by the wealthy
however, a eunuch named Cai Lun (ca. 50 AD
throughout the world. The Chinese learned
– 121) made significant innovation and
how to to make silk from the cocoons of
helped drive its widespread adoption. His
silkworms. They managed to keep the
advanced paper-making technology then
process for making silk a secret
spread to central Asia and the world through
for hundreds of years.
the Silk Road.

*PRINTING (960-1279 AD). Wood block

printing was invented in AD 868 and then
moveable type around 200 years later. This UMBRELLA (1,700 years ago). The
was actually hundreds of years before the inventions of umbrella can be traced back as
invention of the printing press by Gutenberg early as 3500 years ago in China. Legend has
in Europe. it, Lu Ban, a Chinese carpenter and inventor
created the first umbrella. Inspired by
children using lotus leaves as rain shelter, he
created umbrella by making a flexible
framework covered by a cloth. Umbrellas
were invented for protection from the sun
and as well as the rain.
*GUNPOWDER (1000 A.D). Gunpowder
was invented in the 9th century by chemists
trying to find the Elixir of Immortality. Not
long after, they figured out how to use
gunpowder for military uses such as bombs,
guns, mines, and even rockets.
ACUPUNCTURE (2300 years ago). The
oldest Chinese medicine book “Neijing”, also
known as “The Classic of Internal Medicine
of the Yellow Emperor”, shows that
acupuncture was widely used as a therapy in
*THE COMPASS (1100 A.D.). The compass China much before the time it was written.
was invented by Chinese between the 2nd Besides, various kinds of acupuncture
century BC and 1st century AD. It was first needles were discovered in the tomb of
 CHINESE CIVILIZATION
(Scientific and Technological Breakthroughs)

Prince Liu Sheng who died around 200 B.C. tactile experiences of the glaze. Chinese
This is a further proof that acupuncture porcelain was highly prized in the world and
were already in use in China more than two many artworks had been introduced to the
thousnd years ago. West through the Silk Road.

HOT AIR BALLOONS (700 B.C. - 200 A.D.).

KITES (3,000 years ago). The kite was
The Chinese are recorded as being the first
developed around 3,000 years ago by
to make use of lighter than air technology
ancient Chinese. The earliest kites were
with small unmanned hot air ballooons
made of wood, called Muyuan (wooden
which are know as Kongming Lanterns or
kite). In early times kites were mainly used
sky lanterns. These were developed around
for military purposes such as sending a
the 3rd century by originally used as military
message, measuring distances, testing the
signalling devices but later became a
wind and signaling. Over time kite flying
tradition at Chinese festivals.Kongming
developed into playthings and kite flying is
Lanterns were made from oiled rice paper
now enjoyed worldwide. Kites were first
on a bamboo frame, the heat source used
used as a way for the army to signal
was a small candle made from a waxy,
warnings.
flammable material.

GREAT WALL OF CHINA (260-210 BC). The

Great Wall of China was built by the first
emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (260–210 PAPER MONEY (9th century A.D). Paper
BC) to protect the country from northern money were first developed by the ancient
invaders. The 5,500-mile-long wall was built Chinese, who started using folding money at
by slaves, criminals, and peasants. It is the end of the 8th or beginning of the 9th
estimated that millions of people worked to century AD. Paper bills were originally used
build the Great Wall over a period of 1,000 as privately issued bills of credit or exchange
years. Most of the Great Wall that we can see notes. A merchant could deposit his cash in
today was built during the Ming dynasty. the capital, receiving a paper “exchange
Glutinous rice flour was used as a binding certificate” which he could exchange for
material to bind the bricks. metal coins in other cities.

PORCELAIN (581 – 618 AD). Porcelain is a

great invention of ancient China. The earliest
porcelain emerged in Shang Dynasty (1600–
Sources:
1046 BCE) and matured during the Tang
https://www.ducksters.com/history/china/
Dynasty (618- 906). During the Song
inventions_technology.php
Dynasty (960–1279), porcelain production
https://china.usc.edu/sites/default/files/
technology reached an unprecedented
forums/Chinese%20Inventions.pdf
height due to its focus on shape and the
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