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The earliest Chinese paper was probably made from hemp and the bark of a mulberry tree. Later, the Chinese used rags. Papermaking was an important industry in China. For more than 500 years, the Chinese were the only people in the world who knew how to make paper
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The Chinise invented a technique called woodblocka printing. A person first drew characters on paper, then glued the paper to a wooden block. When the glue was dry, the person 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 ink. Then they spread paper over the block and smoothed the paper with a brush.
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For sevaral 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. Tea houses had sprung up throughout the country. The drink’s popularity made tea-plant cultivation a major industry, often involving an entire community.
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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. The sounds let people know what time it was.
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Game cards were invented in China. 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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Before currency was invented, coins were the only form of currency. Paper money was printed with wood blocks.A single bill would have many colors. Paper money is the most common form of currency in the world today.
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The people who first made gunpowder were alchemists. Alchemists experimented with mixtures of natural ingredients, trying to find a substance that might allow people to live forever and make gold. Chinese alchemists experimented with a mineral called saltpeter.Perhaps by accident, they discovered that it could be used to make an explosive powder.
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The first weapon the Chinese had made the that used gunpowder was the flamethrower. Early flamethrowers contained gunpowder mixed with oil. They were used to spray enemies with a stream of fire.
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The Chinese used large bombs that were as explosive as modern bombs. Around the same time,They developed weapons much like today’s rifles and cannons.
