Chinese Inventions

Artillery shells

11

Exploded after being hurled at enemies by a war machine called a catapult. The sound of the exploding shells terrified their horses, grenades, and small bombs, were lit and thrown by hand.

Paper

150

Considering how important it is for
recording and transmitting information, few inventions touch our daily lives more than paper.

Improving Travel on Rivers, Lakes, Canals, and Bridges

450

An innovation of a vessel called a paddle wheel boat made this type of travel must faster, Chinese adapted this idea by arranging a series of paddles in a wheel. People walked
on a treadmill to turn the paddle wheel, which in turn moved through the water, moving the boat forward.

Printing

650

He then glued the paper to a wooden block. When
the glue was dry, the printer carved out the wood around
the characters, leaving the characters raised on the wood.

The development of the Mechanical Clock

750

Dripping water made 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.

Tea

750

Tea had become a hugely popular everyday beverage throughout China. Tea—made by letting tea leaves steep in boiling water—was drunk mostly as medicine.

Gun Powder

850

Alchemists experimented a substance that might allow people to live forever, with mixtures of natural ingredients.

Game cards

850

Famous artists drew the designs that appeared on the backs of the cards, and today s. Today, card games are played throughout the world.

Paper Money

950

Song printers were using multiple wood blocks to print each bill, and . Paper money is the most common form of currency in the world today.

Rocket Technology

1300

At first gunpowder was used for fireworks, Later Chinese used them for weapons.