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Silk fabric was first developed in ancient China. The earliest example of silk fabric is from 3630 BC, and it was used as wrapping for the body of a child from a Yangshao culture site in Qingtaicun at Xingyang, Henan.
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Gunpowder was invented in the 9th century in China,[5][6] and the earliest record of a written formula for gunpowder appears in the 11th century Song dynasty text, Wujing Zongyao.
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The first compasses, however, like the one appearing here, were not designed for navigation. Appearing in China around the 4th century BC, primitive compasses showed people the way not literally, but figuratively, helping them order and harmonize their environments and lives.
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In all written records, the oldest reference to a collapsible umbrella dates to the year 21 AD, when Wang Mang (r. 9–23) had one designed for a ceremonial four-wheeled carriage.[8] The 2nd-century commentator Fu Qian added that this collapsible umbrella of Wang Mang's carriage had bendable joints which enabled them to be extended or retracted.
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The oldest known archaeological fragments of the immediate precursor to modern paper, date to the 2nd century BC in China. The pulp paper making process is ascribed to Cai Lun, a 2nd-century AD Han court eunuch. With paper as an effective substitute for silk in many applications, China could export silk in greater quantity, contributing to a Golden Age.
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In all written records, the oldest reference to a collapsible umbrella dates to the year 21 AD, when Wang Mang (r. 9–23) had one designed for a ceremonial four-wheeled carriage. The 2nd-century commentator Fu Qian added that this collapsible umbrella of Wang Mang's carriage had bendable joints which enabled them to be extended or retracted.
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Acupuncture, along with moxibustion, is one of the oldest practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine.[28] Most historians believe the practice began in China, though there are some conflicting narratives on when it originated.[26][29] Academics David Ramey and Paul Buell said the exact date acupuncture was founded depends on the extent dating of ancient texts can be trusted and the interpretation of what constitutes acupuncture.
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In AD 132, Zhang Heng of China's Han dynasty invented the first seismoscope (by the definition above), which was called Houfeng Didong Yi (translated as, "instrument for measuring the seasonal winds and the movements of the Earth").
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The world's first movable type printing press technology for printing paper books was made of ceramic porcelain china materials and invented in ancient China around AD 1040 by the Han Chinese innovator Bi Sheng, during the Northern Song Dynasty.
