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Porcelian is made by combinding clay with the minerals quartz and feldspar. The mixture is baked in a kiln at very high temperatures. The resulting pottery is white, hard, and waterproof. However, light is able to pass though it, so that the despite its sturdiness, it looks quite delicate and beautiful.
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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. They believed that the smoke would destroy whatever was causing the disease.
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As early as the 2nd century, the Chinese started building ships with separate, watertight compartments. Builders divided the ships into sections and sealed each section with caulk.
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The Chinese invented the papermaking by the 2nd century. The earliest Chinese paper was provavly made from hemp and then the bark of the mulberry tree. Later, the Chinese used rags. Papermaking becam an important industry in China.
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The Chinese first made steel, a very useful metal, before 200 B.C.E. Steel is made from iron, but it is less brittle than iron and easier to bend into different shapes.
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The Chinese developed the first compass as early as the 3rd century B.C.E. The first compass were pieces of a magnetic mineral called lodestone.
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Int eh 5th century, the Chinese adapted this idea by arranging a series of paddles in a wheel. People walked on a treadmmill to turn the paddlewheel, which in turn moved the warer, moving the boat foward.
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In the 13th century, the Chinese invented a techique called woodblock printing. The printer first drew characters on paper. He then glued the paper to a wooden block. when the glue was dry, the printer carved out the wood arount the characters, leaving the charactes raised on the wood.
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BY the 10th century, the Chinese had made the first weapon that used gunpowder: the flamethrower. Early flamethrowers contained gumpowder mixed with oil. The Chinese used them to spray enemies with a sstream of fire.
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In this century, the government minted huge numbers of copper coins, so many that there was a copper shortage. Therefore, moneylenders began issuing paper money in large quanities
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Durrin the 11th century, a new variety of rice was brought to China from Southeast Asia. It was resistant to drought, and it matured in two months instead of five. Now farmes could plamt ar least two crops of rice each year, as a result, rice population in China boomed.
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Diring the Song and Mongola periods, The Chinese developed powerful weapons. The invention of gunpowder, one of the most signifigant inventions in history, made these weapons possible.
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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. They even developed a two-stage rocket for their armies. The first stage propelled the rocket through the air. The second stage dropped arrows down on the enemy.
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During the 13th century, the streets in China were filled with rich landowners, merchants, traders, moneylenders, and visiting peasants trying to sell their surplus crops. The population increased greatly.
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During the 13 century, farmers covered every bit of suitbale land. Terraced hillsides spread as far as you can see. Rice grows on the terraces in flooded fields called paddies.
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Between these centuries, the Chinese created many other weapons using gunpowder. Artillery shells, for example, exploded after being hurled at enemies by a war machine called a catapult. The sound of the exploding shells confused the enemy and terrified their horses. Small bombs, or grenades, were lit and thrown by hand.
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In the 1800's, the mass production of steel was crucial to the Indestrial Revolution in the West. Today, iron and steel making are among China's most important industries.
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between these centuries, the Chinese created many other weapons using gunpowder. Artillery shells exploded after being hurled at enemies by a war machine called a catapult. The sound of the explosion confused the enemies and scared the horses. Small grenades were lit and thrown by hand.
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Urbanization increased during this dynasty as cities sprouted up all over china. The city Hanghou had around 2 million people within the walls.
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During the Song dynasty, woman began binding their feet because woman were not requried to work. Followers of the Confucianism taught thought that women were inferior to men.
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A Chinese engineer completed a neew type of arched bridge. In Europe, Roman-designed bridges rested om arfhes that were half circles. The new Chinese bridge used arfhes that were a smaller part of a circle. This made the bridges broader and flatter than semicircular arches could.
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Tea had become a hugely popular beverage throughout China. Tea houses had sprung up throughout the country. Lu Yu, a famous writer, wrote a book Cha Jing (Tea Classic) describing how to cultivate, perpare, and drink tea.
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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.
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By 1207 about 65million people lived in the south compaired to the 50 million in the north. The movement to the south changed what farmers grew due to the climate change. In the north, the farmes grew wheat and millet. In the south, the climate was wetter and so the farmers grew rice plants.
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By the 9th century tea became the national drink. tea drinking became a social custom, and teahouses became popular. Since tea was so popular, it was high in demand and farmers grew more tea.
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Trade and Commerce were already under way during the Tang dynasty. Tang emperors restrictions on merchants, and they actively promoted trade with producs such as rice, silk, tea, jade, and porcelain traveling to India, Arabia, and Europe.
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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. Europeans were introduced to card games by the late 1300s. Today, card games are played throughout the world.
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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.
