Top 10 Ancient Chinese Inventions

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7. Iron smelting

Iron Smelting
Ancient Chinese Invention: Iron Smelting

It has been confirmed by archaeological evidence that iron, made from melting pig-iron, was developed in ancient China in the early 5th century BC during the Zhou Dynasty (1050 BC-256 BC). During the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1046 BC) to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (1050 BC-256 BC), China went into a flourishing period for steel smelting.

In the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), private-enterprise iron-making was abolished and was monopolized by the state, creating an iron-smelting bloom. The first famous metallurgist in ancient China is Qiwu Huaiwen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-557 AD), who invented the process of using wrought iron and cast iron to make steel.

6. Tea

tea
Ancient Chinese Invention: Tea

Legend has it that the first cup of tea was brewed in 2737 B.C. when dried leaves landed in a boiling cup of water served to the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. From China, the idea of “tea” spread throughout the world. It is said an unknown Chinese inventor created the tea shredder, a small device that used a sharp wheel in the center of a ceramic or wooden pot that would slice the leaves into thin strips.

During the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, the Chinese invention of tea production developed rapidly, and tea became a popular drink around the country and the world. Cha Jing, written by Lu Yu in the Tang Dynasty, is widely recognized as the world’s first scientific work about tea production. Remember that when you take your next cup of tea!

5. Silk

Ancient Chinese Invention: Silk
Ancient Chinese Invention: Silk

The Mongols, the Byzantines, the Greeks and Romans all found themselves unhappily facing Chinese military innovations like gunpowder. It was silk, however, that helped broker peace between ancient China and other cultures. The demand for silk was so high that the fine fabric helped link China to the outside world through trade.

The fabric gave rise to the fabled Silk Road trade routes that eventually stretched from China to the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.The method for manipulating this silkworm-produced material existed 4,700 years ago. A scroll containing an article on silk production was found in the tomb of created during the Liangzhu period, which lasted from 3330 to 2200 B.C.

The Chinese closely guarded the origin of silk; they only lost control of their secret when monks from Europe got their hands on silkworm eggs and took them back West. Quite an interesting story that is.

4. Gunpowder

Gunpowder
Ancient Chinese Invention: Gunpowder

The elusive story of this power of destruction is that it was discovered in the 9th century by Chinese alchemists searching for an elixir of immortality. First described in 1044 in the Collection of the Most Important Military Techniques, compiled by Zheng Guoliang, is known since the late 19th century as black powder, is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate.

Because it burns rapidly and generates a large amount of heat and gas, gunpowder has been widely used as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks. One of the ancient Chinese inventions near to the modern age, gunpowder and gunpowder-based weapons were invented and widely used by military forces to dispel invasion at the borders.

Wujing Zongyao, written by Zeng Gongliang and Ding Du in the Song Dynasty (960- 1279), is the earliest treatise recording three formulas for making gunpowder.

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