Chinese Inventions

By hannah.medwid
  • 750 BCE

    Tea

    Tea
    They mostly drank tea for medicine.
  • 250 BCE

    The compass

    The compass
    Chinese compasses were pieces of a magnetic mineral
    called lodestone. They used them for navigation in sea.They made voyages easier since they didn't need to look at landmarks.
  • 200 BCE

    Steel

    Steel
    The development eventually made it possible to produce large amounts of steel cheaply. In the 1800s, the mass
    production of steel was crucial to the Industrial Revolution in the West. Today, iron and steel making are among
    China’s most important industries.
  • 50

    Porcelain

    Porcelain
    Porcelain is made with clay, minerals quartz, and feldspar. They were made for dishes, bowls, vases, and etc.
  • 650

    Printing

    Printing
    The Chinese invented a technique called woodblock
    printing. The printer first drew characters on
    paper. Then, glued the paper the block. When
    the glue was dry, the printer carved out the wood around
    the characters, which left characters raised on the wood.
  • 750

    Clock

    Clock
    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.
  • 850

    Game cards

    Game cards
    Famous artists drew the designs that appeared on the backs
    of the cards. Europeans were introduced to card games by the late 1300s.
  • 950

    Gunpowder

    Gunpowder
    Alchemists experimented with mixtures of natural ingredients, trying
    to find a substance that might allow people to live forever. They also searched for a way to make gold out of cheaper
    metals.
  • 950

    Flamethrower

    Flamethrower
    The Chinese had made the first weapon that used gunpowder: the flamethrower. Early flamethrowers contained gunpowder mixed with oil. The Chinese used them to spray enemies with a stream of fire.
  • 1300

    Rocket Technology

    Rocket Technology
    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.