Chinese Inventions

Tea

2700 BCE

Tea was created first as a medicine. However in the 8th century it became in a popular beverage. Tea is made when special leaves are put in bowling water.

Compass

950 BCE

The Chinese invented the first magnetic compass. They were made out of a magnetic mineral called lodestone.

Porcelain

50

This item became a prized possession for trade. They made colored glazes to decorate the porcelain.

Paper

150

Chinese invented paper making by the second century C.E. One of the first Chinese paper was probably made from hemp and then the bark of a mulberry tree. Later, the Chinese used rags. For more than 500 years the only people in the world who knew the scecret to making paper.

Printing

650

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.

Mechanical clock

723

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

Paper money

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 currency. Like game cards, paper money was printed with wood blocks. By 1107, Song printers were using multiple wood blocks to print each bill. A single bill would have many colors. Paper money is the most common form of currency in the world today.

Gunpowder

850

Chinese alchemists accidentally discovered gunpowder when they were looking for the secret to eternal life.

Disease prevention

950

Chinese knowledge of medicine and disease prevention dates to ancient times. Before the 1st century C.E., the Chinese developed a way of fighting infectious diseases. An infectious disease is one that can spread from person to person. When a person died from an infectious disease, the Chinese burned a chemical that gave off a poisonous smoke.