Chinese Inventions

By terrence.cobb
  • Period: 3000 BCE to 1400

    Chinese History

  • 2700 BCE

    Tea

    Tea
    We know from written accounts that the Chinese have been drinking tea since at least 2700 B.C. 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. Tea houses had sprung
    up throughout the country. A famous writer, Lu Yu, wrote a book, Cha Jing Tea Classic, describing how to
    cultivate, prepare, and drink tea.
  • 150

    Paper

    Paper
    Early paper was made out of hemp and bark from the mulberry tree. Later the Chinese would use rags to make paper
  • 200

    Steel

    Steel
    The Chinese first made steel, a very well known metal, before 200 BCE steel is from out from iron. But it is less brittle than iron and easier to make shapes with.
  • 205

    Compass

    Compass
    The first Chinese compass was just pieces of magnetic mineral called lodestone, it has evolved
  • 450

    Paddlewheeled boat

    Paddlewheeled boat
    The people-powered paddlewheel boats allowed the Chinese to travel much faster on rivers and lakes. These boats
    were also much easier to maneuver than other types of watercraft. People still use this type of boat for recreational activities.
  • 650

    Bridge

    Bridge
    The Chinese found ways to make bridges better. A Chinese engineer completed a new type of a arched bridge
  • 650

    Printing

    Printing
    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 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.
  • 850

    Gun powder

    Gun powder
    Chinese alchemists accidentally discovered when looking for the secret for eternal life.
  • 1092

    Mechanical Clock

    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.