2006-08-22T04:59:00.000-07:00

Inventions of China

Paper

The invention of paper greatly contributed to the spread and development of civilisation. China was the first country in the world to make proper paper. Paper was made during the western Han Dynasty(202BC-16AD).In A.D.105 an enuch, cai lun, in the Han Dynasty did a futher development of paper. Plants fiber such as tree-bark, bits of rope, rags and worn-out fishing nets were used as raw materials. Technique of paper making was exported in Korea in 384 A.D. A korean monk then took this skill with him to Japan in 610 A.D.

Paper

Printing

Printing- The Four proccessess of printing.
1. Making the types
2. Composing the text
3 & 4. Printing and retrieving the movable types.

Movable type of printing

In 1045A.D to 1058A.D, a moveable type of printing was invented by Bi Sheng. He lived in the Period of Song Dynasty (960A.D-1127A.D) and he invented Moveable printing on the basis of reforming engraving type. At first he sawed wood into small pieces, then he lettered every small piece of wood to make movable Chinese characters. According to what charceters an article needed, he arranged the needed characters on an iron board. After printing, all these characters could be reused.

Movable type printing has a very important position in the history of printing, for all later printing methods such as wooden type,copper type and lead type printing invariably developed on the basis of movable clay types. Bi sheng created movable type printing more than 400 years earlier than it was invented in Europe.

Bi Sheng

GunPower

The invention of gun powder was the most significant acheivements of the middle ages in China. The correct prescription of making gun powder with nitre,sulphur and carbon was probably discovered in the ninth century. The first precription for gun powder appeared in 1044,much earlier than the earliest(1265)gun powder-making instruction recorded in Europe. Gun powder was in extensive used by the Song Dynasty(960-1126). Gun powder was already used in simple hand-grenades which were thrown by a catapult after the Tang Dynasty.

Gunpowder.

Compass

The compass was for religious use.The compass started out as a wooden circle with markings on it and a magnetic spoon on top.The Han Dynasty(206BC-200AD)compasses consisted of bronze on which 24 directions were carved and a rod made from a natrual magnet.Such devices were in use until the eight century.

The spoon-shaped instrument was placed on a cast bronze plate called a "heaven-plate" or diviner's board that had the eight trigrams (Pa Gua) of the I Ching, as well as the 24 directions (based on the constellations), and the 28 lunar mansions (based on the constellations dividing the Equator) . Often, the Big Dipper (Great Bear) was drawn within the center disc. The square symbolized earth and the circular disc symbolized heaven.

Compass

Our Reflections

We felt that the inventions of the China had greatly impacted our lives now. Without those inventions, we couldn't imagine how life can be now. No paper for us to do work and no books to study with. People Whom are lost in the jungle will have a very hard time trying to find their way out without the compass.
We did not know that China had contributed a lot to the world Until we had started doing this project. Their ideas they had in the past and the present are being spread and widely used in the world today.
We all have been very grateful to China for all the had done to the industries. Without them, we Would not possibily live life so comfortably today.

Done by:
Chen Liming(3)
Oh Shimin(13)
Tan Chi Jia Evelyn(20)

inventions of china