Chinese Inventions and Astronomy

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Chinese Inventions and Astronomy

• By Kent Nishizawa

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The History of Chinese Inventions

• The Chinese people invented many wonderful things
  that are still being used today. In early and
  medieval China, scientists were interested mainly
  in engineering and practical inventions, so they
  invented many useful things. Chinese blacksmiths
  invented the crossbow about 450 BC, during the
  Warring States period. Paper was first invented
  in Han Dynasty China, 100 BC to 100 AD, and about
  the same time the magnetic compass for telling
  north from south, was also invented. Scientists
  in China also invented gunpowder. In 132 AD, Han
  Dynasty scholars built the first seismograph to
  tell you what direction an earthquake was coming
  from. During the Three Kingdoms period, about 250
  AD, Zhu Ge Liang invented an early hot air
  balloon that people also used in war. These
  inventions show that the Chinese people were
  advanced in science and technology because they
  were hard to make.

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Why The Inventions Were Great

• The most famous inventions in the Chinese history
  were called The Four Great Inventions of Ancient
  China, which were papermaking, compasses,
  gunpowder, and printing. These inventions are
  special because they changed the peoples
  everyday life. They also had a huge impact on
  the development of Chinese civilization. For
  example, during The Warring States Period, the
  Chinese people had an advantage in the battles
  because they invented gunpowder which was used
  for exploding cannon balls. The wheelbarrow was
  invented in the first century to make chores
  easier to do. Soldiers used it to carry injured
  soldiers out of the battlefields. Farmers used
  it to carry crops to the market. Builders used
  it to move heavy supplies. Paper was invented in
  100 A.D. and was made out of the mulberry tree.
  This invention made possible rapid changes in
  communications.

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The Great Inventors, Zhu Ge Liang

• Zhu Ge Liang was one of the most well-known
  inventors in Ancient China. He was also a
  remarkable politician, strategist, diplomat, and
  astrologer in the Three Kingdoms period. He
  assisted the emperor of The Shu Kingdom. He
  mastered many things like astrology, military
  science, and many other things. He invented a lot
  of popular things. Steamed buns Liang invented
  has become the Chinese staple food. Since Liang
  mastered military science, he invented few
  military items such as the repeating crossbow,
  the assault vehicle, and the battle array of the
  eight diagrams. Also, the kong ming chess was
  invented to entertain soldiers.

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The Most Popular Inventions 1

• Compass

• Gunpowder

• The earliest-known compass dates back to the Han
  Dynasty. The Chinese people knew this invention
  as a south-pointing fish because this lodestone
  compass was pointing south. These compasses were
  primarily used for overland and ocean voyages.

• Gunpowder was invented in China, probably around
  the 1100. The Chinese doctors may have
  accidentally discovered how to make gunpowder
  while searching for ways to cure illnesses.
  Gunpowder is composed of about 75 percent
  saltpeter, 15 percent powdered charcoal, and 10
  percent sulphur. Gunpowder was originally used
  for fireworks.

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The Most Popular Inventions 2

• Kite

• Paper

• Paper seems to have been invented around 100 B.C.
  in China. They were used for many different ways
  such as paper money and playing cards. The
  paper-making industry began under the Han
  Dynasty. The paper-making was a big success and
  began to be used all over China.

• The kite was invented roughly 2,500 to 3,000
  years ago. Besides China, Malaysia and Indonesia
  have claimed to be the original inventor of kite.
  Soldiers of the Han dynasty sailed kites to
  frighten their enemies. Also, kites were a
  popular way to celebrate festivals.

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The Most Popular Inventions 3

• Silk

• Silk was a soft and light material much desired
  by the wealthy throughout the world. It became
  such a valuable export that the trade route
  running from Europe to China became known as the
  Silk Road. The Chinese people learned how to make
  silk from the cocoons of silkworms.

• They managed to keep the process for making silk
  a secret for hundreds of years until the
  Europeans smuggled the information out of China.

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Conclusion

• The Ancient Chinese people were very intelligent.
  They had special talents to invent different
  useful things. All those inventions have
  impacted human civilization all over the world
  from the past to the present. The most amazing
  inventions are found in China. I think that The
  Ancient Chinese had to make their own things
  since the countrys population is so large. Also
  there were people like Zhu Ge Liang who were
  fortunate to have lots of education in science
  and technology. I was really surprised when I
  learned how many things I use were invented by
  the Ancient Chinese people.