Chinese History/Contributions

This chapter discusses Chinese contributions to society.

Four Great Inventions

Historians have commonly identified four Chinese inventions which greatly altered world history. The Four Great Inventions are printing, paper making, gunpowder and the compass.

Other Contributions

Ancient Chinese made great advances in metallurgy, For example, 2300 years ago no one in Europe or the Middle East could melt one ounce of iron, meanwhile, the Chinese were casting multi-ton iron objects. It was not until the 1200s that the British were able to replicate this feat.

As an astronomically advanced civilization the Ancient Chinese first recorded observations of comets, solar eclipses, and supernovae.

More inventions of the Ancient Chinese include:

• The Compass (invented in China used to apply Feng Shui to buildings)
• Paper (the first paper made by pounding linen)
• Gunpowder (made by shamans trying to find a stone of immortality).
• Drilling for natural gas.
• Row crop farming
• Silk
• Porcelain
• Rudders
• Wheelbarrows
• Umbrellas

They traded along the silk road as well as traded with Europe, India, Persia, and within itself. This lead to Chinese inventions and ideas spreading beyond China.