Ancient Chinese Discoveries and Inventions

Tea (Industry)

2700 BCE

The ancient Chinese have records of drinking tea before 2700 BC. However, by the 8th century A.D., tea had become a very popular everyday beverage throughout China. Tea houses had become more popular throughout the country. A famous writer, Lu Yu, wrote a book, Cha Jing (Tea Classic), describing how to
cultivate, prepare, and drink tea. This is important to China's history and it is a very popular drink today.

The Compass (Invention)

300 BCE

The Chinese developed the first
compass as early as the 3rd century B.C. The first
Chinese compasses were pieces of lodestone. This is an important invention because it helps people navigate today.

Paper (Industry)

100

The Chinese invented the art of papermaking by the second century A.D. The earliest Chinese paper was
probably made from hemp, bark, and rags. This is an important industrial invention because we use paper to print.

Printing (Industry)

600

The invention of paper made another key
development possible: printing. In about the 7th century,
the Chinese invented a technique called woodblock
printing. The printer first drew characters on
paper and then glued the paper to a wood block. When
the glue was dry, the printer carved out the wood around
the characters, leaving the characters raised on the wood. This is important because offices use printers everyday and they can print worksheets in school.

The Mechanical Clock (Everyday Objects)

700

The Chinese developed the first mechanical clock in around the 8th
century. New clocks were more accurate than earlier time devices, like sundials and hourglasses. The
Chinese thought up a wheel that made one complete turn every 24 hours. Dripping water made the wheel turn. Every
quarter hour, drums would beat; and every hour, a bell would ring. The sounds let people know what time it was. This is important because everyone uses clocks to tell time.

Paper Money (Everyday Objects)

750

Paper money was invented by the Chinese in the late 8th or early 9th century. Before that time, coins were the only
form of money. Like game cards, paper money was printed with wood blocks and on thicker paper. By 1107, Song printers were using
multiple wood blocks to print each bill. A single bill would have many colors. Paper currency is the most common
form of money in the world today. This is an important invention because most people use some type of paper money.

Game Cards (Everyday Objects)

800

Game cards were created in China in about the 9th century. Printers used
woodblock printing to make the cards from thicker paper. Famous artists drew the designs that appeared on the backs
of the cards. Europeans were introduced to card games by the late 1300s. Today, card games are played throughout
the world and are used for gambling. This is important because people like to play cards and have fun.

China Gunpowder (Military Technology)

850

Chinese alchemists experimented with a mineral called saltpeter. They may have believed that saltpeter could create immortality. Perhaps by accident, they discovered that it could be used to make an explosive gunpowder. In 850 A.D., during the
Tang dynasty, alchemists wrote down a formula for gunpowder. This was an important substance that helped the U.S win wars.

War Tools (Military Technology)

1200

In the 13th century, the Chinese used bombs that were as explosive as modern bombs. Around the same time,
they developed weapons like the cannon. This is important because we used cannons to win wars.

Rocket Technology (Military Technology)

1300

Rocket technology was developed in China during the Song dynasty. Rockets were powered by
a black powder made of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. At first, rockets were used only in fireworks. Later, the
Chinese used them as weapons. They even developed a two-stage rocket for their armies. The first stage shot the
rocket through the air. The second stage dropped arrows down on China's enemies. This is important because it later led to missiles helping the U.S to win wars.