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Period: 300 BCE to 1400
Chinese History
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450
Paddlewheel
In the 5th century, the Chinese arranged a series of paddles in a wheel. People walked on a treadmill to turn the paddlewheel, which in turn moved through the water, moving the boat forward. -
450
Paddlewheel
People walked
on a treadmill to turn the paddlewheel, which in turn moved through the water, moving the boat forward. -
650
Printing
In about the 7th century, the Chinese invented a technique called woodblock printing. -
650
Printer
The printer first drew characters (symbols) on
paper. He then glued the paper to a wooden block. When
the glue was dry, the printer carved out the wood around
the characters, leaving the characters raised on the wood. -
750
Tea
For several thousand years, tea—made by letting tea leaves steep in boiling water—was drunk mostly as medicine. However, by
the 8th century C.E., tea had become a hugely popular everyday beverage throughout China. -
750
Mechanical Clock
The Chinese developed the first mechanical clock in about the 8th
century. The new clock was more accurate than earlier timekeeping devices, such as sundials and hourglasses. The
Chinese devised 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 chime. The sounds let people know what time it was. -
850
Gunpowder
Gunpowder was accidentally invented by alchemists who were trying to find the secret of eternal life. -
850
Game Cards
Game cards were invented in China in about the 9th century. Printers used woodblock printing to make the cards from thick paper. Famous artists drew the designs that appeared on the backs of the cards. -
1050
Printing
In the 11th century, during the Song dynasty, the Chinese
invented movable type. (Europeans developed movable
type independently in the 1400s.)
