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We know from written accounts that the Chinese have been drinking tea since at least 2700 B.C. 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.
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The Chinese invented the art of papermaking by the second century C.E. The earliest Chinese paper wasprobably made from hemp and then the bark of the mulberry tree. Later, the Chinese used rags.
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The invention of paper made another key development possible: printing. In about the 7th century, the Chinese invented a technique called woodblock printing.
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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.
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Chinese alchemists discovered when they were using saltpeter to try to find a secret to immortality (military technology)
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Before that time, coins were the only form of currency. Like game cards, paper money was printed with wood blocks.
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Printers used woodblock printing to make the cards from thick paper.
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Early flamethrowers contained gunpowder mixed with oil. The Chinese used them to spray enemies with a stream of fire.
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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. (military technology)
