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2700 BCE
Industry
The Chinese were the first people to start drinking tea. Tea was made by steeping leaves in boiling water. The same concept is still used today. -
300 BCE
Travel and Exploration
The Chinese invented the compass. The first compass was originally made of pieces of magnetic minerals - lodestone. The Chinese eventually replaced the lodestone with a piece of metal that was rubbed with the lodestone. -
200 BCE
Industry
The Chinese made steel. The earliest steel was made from cast iron. They were the first to learn that melting and shaping iron ore could result in creating metal tools. Later they learned that blowing air into molten iron resulted in steel. -
100
Industry
The Chinese were the first people to create porcelain. Porcelain is created by combining clay with feldspar and and quartz. The mixture is then baked at high temperatures. By the 10th century, hundreds of thousands of people were mass producing porcelain. -
400
Travel and Exploration
The Chinese were the first people to invent the paddle boat. The first paddle boat was powered by a treadmill that someone would walk in to move. -
Jan 1, 618
Travel and Exploration
The Chinese improved bridges. A Chinese architect created a new type of arched bridge called a segmental arch bridge. The new style was able to create stronger, broader and flatter bridges that used less materials than traditional arch bridges. -
Jan 1, 800
Everyday Objects
Game cards were invented by Chinese in the 9th century. Originally, printers used woodblocks to print cards on thick paper. Artists would draw the designs that were on the backs of the cards. -
Jan 1, 800
Everyday Objects
In the late 8th century or early 9th century, Chinese started to print money. Before, coins were the only currency available, but eventually people were able to print money using wood blocks. A single bill had many colors. -
Jan 1, 800
Everyday Objects
In the 8th century, the Chinese people were able to to develop the first mechanical clock. This new invention was able to keep more precise time than sundials and hourglasses. The first clock was a wheel powered by dripping water. The wheel would make one full turn every 24 hours; every quarter hour drums would beat and every hour a bell would chime. The different sounds would let people know what time it is.
