-
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.
-
In the past, you might have been lost. But thanks to the magnetic compass, you can find your way. Your compass is a magnetized needle that aligns itself with Earth’s magnetic poles so that one end points north and the other south.
-
By the 10th century, the Chinese were making porcelain of great beauty. Crafts-people learned how to paint pictures on porcelain.
-
The new clock was more accurate than earlier timekeeping devices, such as sundials and hourglasses.
-
Before that time, coins were the only form of currency, but then they invented paper money.
-
In the 13th century, the Chinese used large bombs that were as explosive as modern bombs.
-
The invention of gunpowder—one of the most significant inventions in history—made these weapons possible.
-
A number of Chinese inventions enriched people’s everyday lives. Among them are game cards.
-
Rocket technology was developed in China during the Song dynasty. Rockets were powered by a black powder made of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur.
-
Movable type consists of separate blocks for each character. Printers made their type by carving characters out of clay and baking them. To print, they selected the characters they needed and placed them in an iron frame in the order they would appear on the page. When the printing job was done, the type could be removed from the frame and rearranged to use again.
