Chinese Inventions

By anabel.kreydt
  • Period: 300 BCE to 1400

    Chinese History

  • 250 BCE

    Compass

    Compass
    The first Chinese compasses were pieces of a magnetic mineral
    called lodestone. Earth was like a giant magnet, so the lodestone attracted to it leading people north and south.
  • 150

    Paper

    Paper
    The Chinese invented the art of paper making. It was made from hemp and then the bark of a mulberry tree. Later the Chinese used rags.
  • 450

    Paddlewheel Boat

    Paddlewheel Boat
    The Chinese adapted this idea by arranging a series of paddles in a wheel. People walked on a treadmill to move the paddlewheel, which in turn moved through the water, moving the boat forward.
  • 618

    The Great Stone Bridge

    The Great Stone Bridge
    The Great Stone Bridge, invented by a Chinese engineer, spans the river of Chiao Shui in China. It was the world's first segmental arch bridge. It has a span of 123 feet.
  • 650

    Printing

    Printing
    The Chinese invented the technique called woodblock printing. The printer first drew symbols on paper 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. To print from the block, the printer covered the characters
    with black ink. Then he spread paper over the block and
    smoothed the paper with a brush. Some artists still use
    block printing today to create fine art prints.
  • 850

    Gunpowder

    Gunpowder
    Gunpowder was accidentally invented alchemist who were trying to find the secret element to life.
  • 850

    Game cards and Paper Money

    Game cards and Paper Money
    Printers used woodblock printing to make the cards and paper money. Famous artists drew the designs that appeared on the backs of the cards. Song printers were using
    multiple wood blocks to print each bill. A single bill would have many colors.
  • 1050

    Movable Type

    Movable Type
    Movable type consists of separate blocks for each character. Printers made their type by carving characters out of clay and baking them. With the invention of movable type, printers no longer
    had to create a new set of woodblocks for each item they
    printed.
  • 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 firework. Later, the Chinese used them as weapons.