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Tea farmers grew small tea trees on high ground. When the trees were ready for harvest, only new-growth leaves were picked by hand. Then the tree was cut back so it would end up growing new leaves for the next harvest. This cycle repeats several times a year. Workers then dry the fresh leaves by leaving them out in sunlight for different numbers of days, depending on the variety of tea. The final drying process takes place in a dry wok or in a small oven.
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An infectious disease is something that can spread from person to person. When a person was to die from an infectious disease, the Chinese burned a chemical that gave off a poisonous smoke. They believed that the smoke would destroy and prevent whatever was causing the disease to spread.
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The earliest Chinese paper was made from hemp then from the bark of the mulberry tree. Later, the Chinese used rags.
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The printer first drew symbols on paper. Then you would glue the paper to a wooden block. When the glue was done drying, the printer would carve out the wood around the characters, leaving the characters raised on the wood. This technique is called woodblock.
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The mechanical clock is a wheel that makes one complete turn every 24 hours. Dripping water makes 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.
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Like game cards, paper money was printed by the woodblock technique. 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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Chinese alchemists experimented with a mineral called saltpeter. One day they accidentally found out that this mineral could be used to make an explosive powder called gunpowder.
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Printers used woodblock printing to make the cards from thick paper. Famous artists drew the designs that appeared on the backs of the cards. Today, card games are played throughout the world.
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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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Rockets were powered by a black powder made of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. At first, rockets were only used 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.
