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- Movable Type Printing. A major revolution in the history of printing came after the invention of movable clay type printing by Bi Sheng (990–1051) during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127).
- Gunpowder. The first chemical explosive known as a gunpowder or black powder was made from sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Gunpowder wasn’t a sudden invention.
- The Silk Road. The Silk Road was an ancient trading route used by merchants, traders, and city dwellers linking Asia to the Mediterranean. The history of the Silk Road can be traced back to the Han dynasty.
- The Great Wall. The Great Wall of China was built by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (260–210 BC) to protect the country from northern invaders.
- Paper. Papermaking was invented during the Han Dynasty around 105 AD by a court official named Cai Lun. Prior to this, bamboo and silk were the primary materials used for writing, but they were expensive and not easily accessible.
- Printing. Printing was another monumental invention from Ancient China. The earliest form of printing, woodblock printing, was developed during the Tang Dynasty.
- Magnetic compass. The compass, invented during the Han Dynasty, was initially used for divination and geomancy, but it soon found its way into navigation.
- Gunpowder. Gunpowder, invented during the Tang Dynasty, was initially used for medicinal purposes. However, its explosive properties were soon harnessed for military use.
The Four Great Inventions are inventions from ancient China that are celebrated in Chinese culture for their historical significance and as symbols of ancient China's advanced science and technology. They are the compass, gunpowder, papermaking and printing.
- Papermaking. Paper was invented in about the year 105 AD by Cai Lun, who was an imperial court official of the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). Before the invention of paper, ancient people from all over the world wrote words on many kinds of natural materials, such as leaves, animal skins, rocks, and earthen plates.
- Printing Techniques — Invented from 200 AD. The moveable, reusable, clay-type printing technique was invented by Bi Sheng (970–1051) in the Song Dynasty (960–1279) after numerous tests.
- Gunpowder — Invented in the 800s AD. Gunpowder was invented by Chinese alchemists during the Tang Dynasty. In medieval China, alchemists were people who tried to make an elixir of immortality as their supreme goal.
- The Compass. The history of the compass can be dated back to the Warring States Period (476–221 BC), when Chinse people used a device called si nan to point the direction.
- Tea. Tea has been so important in China that even the story of silk includes a probably anachronistic cup of it. Legend says silk was discovered when a cocoon fell from a mulberry bush into a cup of imperial tea.
- Gunpowder. The principle behind gunpowder was discovered by the Chinese in perhaps the first century, during the Han Dynasty. It wasn't used in guns at the time but created explosions at festivals.
- Compass. A Qin Dynasty invention, the compass was first used by fortune-tellers before it was applied to the cardinal directions. At first, they used a lodestone containing iron oxide which made it align north-south before they realized a magnetized needle would work as well.
- Silk Fabric. The Chinese learned to cultivate the silkworm, reel out its silken thread, and create silk fabric. Not only was the silken fabric useful in heat or cold as clothing, but, as a highly sought-after luxury item, it led to commerce with other peoples and the spread of culture all the way to and from the Roman Empire.
This includes the Four Great Inventions: papermaking, the compass, gunpowder, and printing (both woodblock and movable type ). The list below contains these and other inventions in ancient and modern China attested by archaeological or historical evidence, including prehistoric inventions of Neolithic and early Bronze Age China .
Oct 27, 2019 · Lauren Mack. Updated on October 27, 2019. In Chinese history, there are four great inventions (四大發明, sì dà fā míng ): the compass (指南针, zhǐnánzhēn ), gunpowder (火药, huǒyào ), paper (造纸术, zào zhǐ shù ), and printing technology (活字印刷术, huózì yìnshuā shù ). Since ancient times, there have been ...
