CHINESE INVENTIONS

Ancient Chinese Contributions

Table of Contents

Introduction1

Gunpowder1

Papermaking2

Printing2

Compass3

Importance of the Four Great Inventions3

One invention that I cannot live without3

References5

Ancient Chinese Contributions

Introduction

Chinese, as a nation, are very smart people. They have been the pioneers of many valuable inventions. Among these inventions are the Chinese handwriting, which is unique, in that it is more like a pictograph carved on things like tortoise shells and bones, magnetic compass, coal & iron refining, porcelain, roads & relay hostels, the Mechanical Clock, Abacus, paper money, spinning wheel, smallpox inoculation, gunpowder, canals & locks, The Great Wall of China, coal & iron refining, and movable sails & rudder, to name a few (Williams, 1997).

In this essay, I will be discussing the four major inventions of China called the Four Great Inventions. These four inventions are the Chinese inventions of gunpowder, papermaking, printing, and compass.

Gunpowder

The famous Chinese alchemist invented the gunpowder. They were trying to find an elixir of life. The invention dates back to the 9th century. The grenade bomb of today is a derivative of the gunpowder as introduced by the Chinese alchemists. Over time, the level of nitrate in the gunpowder mixture rose and ultimately its potential to explode got perfect. By the mid 14th century, the nitrate percentage in the mixture varied between 12% to 91%. The empty shells were filled with the gunpowder and used for the purpose (Kelly, 2004).

Papermaking

The art of Chinese papermaking goes back to AD 105. In the Han Dynasty, it was Cai Lun who used mulberry, old rags, fishnets, and waste to come up with paper (Deng, 2005). Back in those days, the Chinese used paper not only as a writing medium but also for padding and wrapping just like we do in today's life. The use of paper for the former purpose ...