Chinese Inventions

By Mary.Kubiak
  • 300 BCE

    Compass

    Compass
    The Chinese developed the first compass as early as the 3rd century B.C.E. The first Chinese compasses were pieces of a magnetic mineral called lodestone. Earth itself is like a giant magnet with north and south poles.
  • Period: 300 BCE to 1400

    Chinese History

  • 50

    Porcelain

    Porcelain
    Another Chinese invention is a type of fine pottery called porcelain. Some historians think that the Chinese produced the first porcelain as early as the 1st century C.E. Porcelain is made by combining clay with the minerals quartz and feldspar. The mixture is baked in a kiln, or pottery oven, at very high temperatures. The resulting pottery is white, hard, and waterproof. However, light can pass through it, so that despite its sturdiness it looks quite delicate and beautiful.
  • 400

    The Small Boat

    The Small Boat
    As you push your paddle through the water, the boat moves
    forward. In the 5th century, the Chinese adapted this idea by arranging a series of paddles in a wheel.
  • 600

    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.
  • 700

    Tea

    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.
  • 800

    Game Cards and Paper Money

    Game Cards and Paper Money
    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.
  • 850

    Gunpowder

    Gunpowder
    Accidentally discovered by alchemists, who were looking for the secret to eternal life.
  • 1092

    Mechanical Clock

    Mechanical Clock
    The Chinese improved the mechanical clock in 1092, during the Song dynasty. The new clock worked on the same
    principles as the earlier one, but it was much more complex and accurate.
  • 1250

    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.