Ancient China: Inventions. The most ancient and important Chinese inventions

Not a single day passes without a huge number of inventions created many millennia ago. We are so busy with everyday affairs that in the bustle we do not think about the fact that this could not exist. Anyone who, at least once, forgot the phone at home, understands how much, dependent on it, the whole daily life of a modern person. What if it didn't exist at all? And what would happen if other things that are common to us were not invented? The lion's share of all the usual household items and gadgets is made in China. Although today most of the goods from China are not their own developments of this country, many centuries ago China brought to the world a huge number of valuable inventions, amazing and unknown to Western civilization.

1. Silk.
Every woman knows what this pleasant material is. He is the personification of luxury and tenderness to this day. Silk is a material made from a silk thread made from a cocoon. silkworm, the thread has a triangular section, which is why the fabric shimmers beautifully and has an attractive sheen for everyone. Among all the types of fabrics invented in modern times, silk remains the king of the textile industry. Its price is still the highest, and not everyone can afford a thing made of this wonderful material. The reason for the increased cost is the manufacturing technology that is inaccessible to everyone. For thousands of years, the Chinese have managed to keep the manufacturing method a secret. So to create silk, an unprecedented number of cocoons is required. Keeping the secrecy ensured that the producers dominated the market for the sale of silk, as everyone knows about the silk road that connected China and Europe. Demand for silk provided China with the establishment trade relations and unprecedented economic growth.

2. Alcohol.
The invention of ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, scientists refer to the ninth millennium. This is evidenced by recent archaeological excavations in the province of Henan, where traces of alcohol were found on fragments of pottery. The results obtained finally put an end to the dispute, who, after all, invented alcohol, the Chinese or the Arabs. This invention was prompted by the improvement of vinegar and soy sauce, using the method of fermentation and distillation. So as a result of experiments, alcohol was born.

3. Gunpowder.
This is the oldest invention of China, according to the legends, it appeared as a result of the search by alchemists for the elixir of immortality. It was created by accident, when creating a mixture of prolonging human life, but contrary to the hopes of Chinese alchemists, it turned out to be a deadly weapon that can kill a person in a matter of seconds.
The first composition of gunpowder included saltpeter, charcoal and sulfur. This became known from the book of Zeng Goliang, who spoke about weapons and military tactics that time. According to the book, gunpowder was used as an explosive, as well as for flares and fireworks.

4. Paper.
Lai Cun is the name of the creator, the first prototype of paper. According to some sources, Lai Cun lived in 105 BC. and was a eunuch in the court of the Han Dynasty. In those days, the subject for writing were thin strips of bamboo and silk. Paper appeared as a result of a mixture of wood fibers with water, which were pressed against a cloth. Prior to this, people wrote on stones, papyrus and clay tablets, and even tortoise shells were used.

5. Typography.
The invention of paper contributed to an increase in the literacy of the population, which gave impetus to the development of education in general. In connection with the growth of literacy, a need arose for the transmission of longer texts. The ruling strata of the population, to consolidate their decision and identity, used the seal. The creation of seals was a special art. Each seal was created unique and had no analogues of its kind. According to the principle of transferring an image to paper using printing, the Chinese came to book printing. In China, there was no censorship and control over print media, so this industry was quite widespread. The first historical references to the printed book date back to the seventh century. During the reign of the Sunn Dynasty, printing spread rapidly. It is known that in the eighth century in the provinces of Zhejian and Fujian there were more than a hundred family publishing houses.
The invention of typography, accompanied by the appearance of typefaces and weaving. "Notes on the Stream of Dreams" is the first work describing technological process production of fired clay letters and production of sets of fonts and seals. The author of the book, the famous statesman and scientist Shen Ko, writes that this innovation belongs to an unknown master.

6. Pasta.
The oldest plate of noodles found in China is over 7,000 years old. It is made from two types of millet grains, the same technology used to make modern Chinese noodles. But until now, various excavations confuse scientists, and make them doubt who should be given primacy. Italians and Arabs are China's main competitors in this matter.

7. Compass.
Travel and military campaigns, maps and sea voyages, all this would be complicated by the determination of the course if there were no such thing as a compass. For the fact that we can get from one point to another, it is worth paying tribute to the inventors ancient China. The first compass allowed to determine the south direction, the most important part of the world, according to the Chinese. The material from which the first compass was made was a magnet.

8. Seismograph.
One of the most important inventions of ancient China was the first seismograph invented by the imperial astronomer Zhang Heng. The first Seismograph was a vessel with nine dragons depicted on it. Frog figurines with open mouths were made under each dragon. A pendulum hung inside the vessel, which, in the event of an earthquake, would begin to move and inform everyone about the trouble. Thanks to a complex mechanism, it could even show the epicenter of an earthquake.

9. Kite.
The laws of aerodynamics that allow aircraft to take off were already known to some extent to the Chinese. In the fourth century BC, two lovers of philosophy, Gongshu Ban and Mo Di, built a snake that looked like a bird. It seemed to many that it was just a toy, but for mankind it was an advance in the field of science. The first planes and aircraft are due to the experience that the Chinese gave us by flying a kite into the sky.

10. Hang glider.
This modern entertainment device was invented in ancient China. Experimenting with the size of a kite, an apparatus was created capable of lifting and holding a person in the sky. The authorship of this device is unknown.

11. Chinese tea.
Every person on this planet has tasted tea at least once, and many of us drink it every day. Tea has been known in China since the first millennium. There are references to a healing infusion made from tea tree leaves. The invention of the Chinese is a method of brewing and obtaining a tea drink.

12. Umbrella
The birthplace of the folding umbrella, according to some sources, is also located in China. The existence of the umbrella has been known since the 11th century. In China, the umbrella was used to protect high-ranking dignitaries from the sun. So the emperor and his entourage took him on his walks, so the umbrella was a symbol of wealth and luxury.

13. Wheelbarrow.
The Chinese are great builders, the invention of the wheelbarrow helped them in this. A wheelbarrow is an object that facilitates manual transportation of goods, and also allows a person to lift and carry more weight. Invented it in the second century, a general named Yugo Liang. He came up with a basket on one wheel, later his design was supplemented with handles. Initially, the function of the wheelbarrow was defensive and was used in military operations. For centuries, the Chinese kept their invention a secret.

14. Porcelain.
Porcelain, used in everyday life and is considered best material for making dishes. Porcelain tableware has a beautiful, glossy surface that perfectly complements the design of any kitchen and transforms any dinner. Porcelain has been known since 620 in China. Europeans experimentally obtained porcelain only in 1702. In Italy, France and England, they have been trying to make porcelain for two centuries.

The inventions of Ancient China also include: horoscope, drum, bell, crossbow, violin, gong, wushu martial art, qigong gymnastics, fork, steamer, chopsticks, tofu soy cheese, paper money, varnish, playing cards and other.

Chinese civilization gave humanity many inventions, without which we cannot imagine our lives today. Everyone knows that it was from the Middle Kingdom that they came into our everyday life:

• paper,
• powder,
• porcelain,
• silk.

However, ancient Chinese scientists and inventors created a lot of other equally useful things. Many Chinese discoveries were made again by Western scientists, but much later.

Inventions of Ancient China

Compass

It was in China that magnetized iron was first used to determine the cardinal points. The estimated date of creation of the compass is still unknown to scientists. According to some estimates, the first compasses could appear between the 3rd century BC. BC e. and X c. n. e. Initially, the compass was a metal spoon, the handle of which always pointed north. Thanks to this invention, Chinese travelers could accurately determine their position in space without any landmarks. This was especially convenient if the traveler was in the middle of the desert or the sea. However, the first compasses were used not only in navigation, but also in construction. Chinese architects designed palaces and temples in accordance with Feng Shui rules. In those days, people believed that in order for only positive energies to enter the erected building, and for its inhabitants to be happy, rich and healthy, windows, doors and rooms must be correctly oriented to the cardinal points. This rule is still observed even in atheistic China, many large companies Feng Shui specialists are invited to work, whose tasks include the correct layout of the premises and the arrangement of furniture.

Typography

Residents of Europe and Russia usually associate the invention of the first printing press with the name of the German master Johannes Gutenberg, who lived in the 15th century. But few people know that the first printing devices in the world appeared in China. However, the printing of books here was not as popular as in Europe. Preference was given to manuscripts. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the hieroglyphic system is too complex for printing, as well as the special attitude of the Chinese to the art of calligraphy.

At first, woodcuts were used to print books: text and engravings were cut out in a mirror image on a wooden board. Then the board was covered with paint and imprinted on paper. With the help of woodcuts, drawings could also be applied to silk fabric. It was quite difficult to print large works in this way, so the first typesetting boards appeared in the 11th century. At first typesettings were made of clay, and then they were replaced by bronze letters.

Ethanol

Since ancient times, people have known that fermented cereals and fruits have an intoxicating effect. Within the territory of modern China The production of alcohol began in the 7th millennium BC. e. Over time, the Chinese learned to ferment and distill vegetable raw materials, obtaining different varieties of wines, tinctures and sauces.

Kite

It is believed that the first kite appeared in China in the 5th century BC. e. The very fact that the inhabitants of Ancient China were able to create such a design suggests that these people had an idea about the basic laws of aerodynamics. In those days, the Chinese did not treat kites as simple toys. From the first years of its appearance, this invention was used by the Chinese army: with the help of a kite, it was possible to deliver an important message to a besieged fortress. And the kite stuffed with gunpowder and set on fire immediately turned into formidable weapon. Some resourceful Chinese even learned how to fish with kites. It was enough just to tie the bait to the structure and wait for the bite.

More than two millennia later, the principle of the kite became the impetus for the development of modern aircraft.

Umbrella

The familiar umbrella, made of water-repellent fabric and metal, was patented in the 1850s in England. However, the history of this ingenious invention began much earlier and on the other side of the world. According to scientists, the first umbrellas independently appeared simultaneously in China, Egypt and India about 3200 years ago. Initially, they were intended only for protection from the sun and only the richest and most influential citizens could have them. Umbrellas were made from feathers, paper or big leaves. The owners of the very first umbrellas very rarely carried them in their hands. During walks, the servants who accompanied their master held umbrellas. If a dignitary or emperor had to sit in one place for a long time, the umbrella was simply attached to the back of his chair or throne.

Toothbrush

Since ancient times, people have taken care of the cleanliness of their teeth. The first toothpicks and brushes used for oral hygiene date back to prehistoric times. For a long time, chewing plates made of wood, mastic or bamboo were used for brushing teeth. But at the end of the 15th century, the first modern-style brushes appeared in China. The Chinese guessed to attach bundles of boar bristles to a bamboo or bone handle. Even though the materials used to make toothbrushes have changed a lot over the past five centuries, the actual shape of the brushes has remained the same.

Wheelbarrow

A wheelbarrow, without which no subsidiary farm can be imagined today, also came into our life from China. Such a simple device had a very long and interesting story. The first cars appeared in the 1st century BC. e. and began to be used in military affairs. There are no branched river networks in China, and in ancient times pack animals were almost not bred here. Therefore, during the hostilities, the question of how to supply the army and transport cargo was quite acute. In the end, the problem was solved. The army began to use a structure that was a wooden flooring with two handles, hoisted onto one wheel. For a long time, cars as a real advanced military technology were even hidden from the enemy.

Unlike the European car, the Chinese one was much more convenient and maneuverable. If the European one had one small wheel in front, because of which the worker had to partially take the weight of the load on himself, then the Chinese wheelbarrow had a much larger wheel and was located in the center. Thanks to this engineering solution, the person who transported the cargo could only push the structure in front of him. In some cases, for the speed of movement, small sails were even attached to the wheelbarrows: such a design on a smooth road could reach speeds of up to 60 km / h. Wheelbarrows were very comfortable and roomy. They did not require the construction of such wide roads as in countries where goods were transported by horses and oxen. All of China was entangled in a network of narrow winding paved paths, on which two workers with wheelbarrows could easily pass.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, wheelbarrows were one of the main devices for transporting goods for the Chinese. Often they were even used as vehicle: on a wheelbarrow driven by one worker, up to 5-6 people could ride.

Mechanical watches

People have found ways to measure time since before our era. At first, time was determined simply by the position of the heavenly bodies. The first hours were solar (appeared in Egypt) and water (appeared in Babylon). Perhaps in some regions already in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. the principle of the hourglass was developed. Shortly before the 1st century A.D. e. The Chinese borrowed clepsydra from the Middle East. But at the beginning of the 7th century, China invented its own absolutely new type hours. Their creator was the Buddhist monk Yi Xing. He came up with a complex structure that displayed the time of sunrise and sunset, the movement of heavenly bodies and time. Yi Sin's device was both a clock and a small planetarium. The clock was set in motion by the power of water. Two and a half centuries later, Yi Xing's clock was improved by replacing water with mercury.

Cast iron

According to archaeological research, cast iron has been known to the Chinese since the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. Already in this era in China there were many technological innovations and techniques that made it possible to achieve great success in metallurgy. Here:

• built blast furnaces
• used the scream horn,
• used stack casting technology, thanks to which it was possible to obtain up to hundreds of identical products at a time,
• made chill molds - metal molds for casting.

In fact, cast iron is iron ore enriched in carbon. How more content carbon in cast iron and less impurities, the stronger the metal. Mass production of iron products began after the Chinese began to use coal as fuel. Unlike wood, coal made it possible to maintain very high temperature. Iron ore was placed in special pipes, which were then placed in burning coal. Since the pipes were closed, the raw material did not come into contact with the sulfur formed as a result of coal combustion. Therefore, Chinese cast iron was clean and durable.

Many useful items were made from cast iron: agricultural implements, horse harness, cannons, dishes, mouthpieces, coins, and even children's toys.

The production of cast iron led to a number of important new discoveries. First, thanks to cast-iron cookware, ideal for evaporating salt, the salt industry began to develop rapidly in China. The scale of salt development expanded every year, new mines were created throughout the country. Apparently, during the salt mining, the Chinese discovered natural gas. Scientists have not been able to establish the exact date of this amazing discovery. But already in the notes of Marco Polo (XIII century) there are references that the Chinese used gas as a fuel.

Steel

The discovery of cast iron soon led to the advent of steel. To obtain steel from cast iron, it is necessary to clean it, including from excess carbon. Chinese masters lowered the amount of carbon in the metal by blowing oxygen into the raw material. In order for steel products to be stronger, they were subjected to hardening: the white-hot metal was instantly cooled in water. Multiple repetition of this procedure made it possible to obtain heavy-duty products.

Many techniques discovered by ancient Chinese metallurgists are still used in heavy industry. Some of them, for example, formed the basis of the principle of operation of an open-hearth furnace.

varnish

O useful properties resin produced by lacquer wood became known to the Chinese as early as the 5th-4th millennium BC. e. Objects coated with such resin became protected from the effects of water and various chemical substances, temperature fluctuations, corrosion.

Lacquer was collected by making cuts in the bark of trees. Since freshly harvested varnish contains a lot of water, it was boiled, evaporating the excess moisture. To prevent the mass from becoming too thick, crabs were added to the container with varnish. Their shells contain a substance that prevents the resin from thickening.

Over time, mineral dyes, metals and various organic substances began to be added to the resin. So the Chinese got a whole range of colored varnishes. In the Middle Ages, in order for the varnish to better lay down on the surface to be treated, the purified resin was mixed with vegetable oils. Lacquers were used to cover paper products, jewelry, imperial tombs, wooden utensils and much more. Even before the advent of our era, there was a fashion for painted nails among the Chinese nobility. Manicure was followed by both women and men. Long (up to 25 cm) bright nails were a sign that their owner was not engaged in hard manual labor. In some cases, nails were an amulet that protected a person from the evil eye and evil spirits.

In today's market, it is difficult to find products that are not made in China. Almost everything we use is made in China. Here and work force is much cheaper than in other countries, and people can come up with things that no one else can do. The best and most popular toys were invented by the Chinese, innovative household appliances, again, were born in China. In a word, even in the deep past, the state was known precisely for its technical and other achievements. The discoveries and inventions of Ancient China formed the basis of modern production and became the prototype of many objects known to every person today.

Porcelain heritage

Products from Chinese porcelain are highly valued all over the world. Having such dishes at home means demonstrating your impeccable taste to others. Such things are valued for their unsurpassed quality and amazing beauty. Translated from the Persian language, the word "porcelain" means "king". And this is true. In the thirteenth century in European countries porcelain from the Middle Kingdom was an incredible value. The most influential persons in their treasuries kept samples of ceramic Chinese art, framed in a frame of gold. And the inhabitants of Iran and India were sure that Chinese porcelain was endowed with magical abilities: if poison was added to food, it would change its shade. Thus, the most famous invention made in ancient China is, as you might guess, porcelain.

In the second millennium BC. e. (Tang period) ceramics appears, which is of historical and artistic value. A little later, proto-porcelain appeared, which did not have the characteristic whiteness and transparency. But the Chinese consider this material to be true porcelain, while Western art critics refer it to stone masses.

(the inventions of one of the most ancient states aroused and still arouse great interest) gave the world a real matte white porcelain. At the very beginning of the 7th century, ceramists from the Middle Kingdom learned how to make porcelain masses by mixing kaolin, feldspar and silicon. During the reign, there is a flourishing of Chinese ceramic production.

The advent of cast iron

Already in the IV Art. BC e. in the Celestial Empire, the technology of iron smelting was known. From the same period, and perhaps even earlier, the Chinese began to use coal as a fuel, which provided a high temperature. It was in such a state as ancient China (achievements and inventions are described in our article) that the following method for producing cast iron was developed: stacks were stacked in melting crucibles resembling a pipe. The containers themselves were lined with coal and set on fire. This technology guaranteed the absence of sulfur.

Cast iron was used to make iron knives, chisels, plowshares, axes, and other tools. Such material was not disdained in the production of toys. Thanks to their iron smelting technology, the Chinese cast trays and pots with incredibly thin walls.

Deeper, even deeper

In such a state as ancient China, whose achievements and inventions are actively used to this day, the method of deep well drilling was invented. It happened in the first century. The invented method made it possible to drill holes in the ground, the depth of which reached one and a half thousand meters. The drilling rigs in use today operate on a principle similar to that of the ancient Chinese. But in those distant times, the towers for fixing the tool reached a height of 60 meters. Workers in the middle of the required area to guide the tool laid stones with holes. Today, guide tubes are used for this purpose.

Then, using hemp ropes and bamboo power structures, the craftsmen regularly lowered and raised the iron drill. This was done until the required depth was reached, at which a layer of natural gas lay. It was subsequently used as a fuel in the salt production process.

To the north or to the east

You can list the inventions of ancient China for a long time. The compass is worth mentioning in their first five. Since ancient times, the Chinese have known about the existence of a magnet. In III Art. BC e. the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire became aware that it can attract iron. Just as early, they guessed that this material is able to indicate which side the south and north are. Presumably, the first compass was invented at the same time. True, then it resembled a magnetic spoon, which rotated around its own axis and was placed in the center of a device that looked like a stand made of wood or copper. And the dividing line on the device indicated the cardinal points. The spoon regularly pointed south. Such an apparatus was called the "spoon that rules the world."

In the 11th century, instead of a magnet, the Chinese began to use magnetized iron or steel. At that time, Ancient China, whose inventions are truly amazing and unique, was also widely popular - a state where such a device was used as follows: a magnetized steel arrow was lowered into a vessel with water. It was made in the shape of a fish and reached six centimeters in length. The head of the figurine pointed only to the south. Over time, the fish succumbed to modifications and became an ordinary compass needle.

stirrups

Horseback riding has been around for a very long time. And for a long time they rode horses without leg support. Stirrups were not then known to either the Babylonians, or the Medes, or the Greeks, or other ancient peoples. When driving fast, people had to cling to the horse's mane so as not to fall. But the great inventions of ancient China would not have had such an honorable title if they really did not deserve it. In the third century, the Chinese figured out how to avoid such inconveniences. At that time, they were considered incredibly gifted metallurgists, and therefore iron and bronze began to be used to cast stirrups. Unfortunately, the name of the person who invented this item has not been preserved. But it was in the Middle Kingdom that they learned to cast stirrups from metal, and they had an ideal shape.

If there was no paper

Ancient China, whose inventions deserve respect, ushered in a new era in book development. The Chinese succeeded in inventing paper and printing. The oldest hieroglyphic texts date back to 3200 BC. e. During the period of the Six Dynasties, lithography was discovered in the Celestial Empire. First, the text was engraved on stone, and then an impression was made on paper. In the 8th century AD, paper began to be used instead of stone. This is how engraving and woodcut printing appeared.

According to legend, Cai Lun, a servant of the emperor's harem, became the inventor of paper. He lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Historical sources state that Cai used tree bark, fishing nets and rags. This is the creation the servant presented to his emperor. Since then, paper has firmly entered the life of mankind and has become an indispensable attribute of its existence.

Chinese silk

For many centuries Western countries China was known exclusively as a silk producer. Even in deep, deep antiquity, the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire possessed the secrets of making this wonderful material. Xi Ling, wife of Emperor Huang Di, taught Chinese girls how to grow silkworms, process silk and weave fabric from the resulting threads.

most famous invention

A list called "Inventions of the inhabitants of ancient China" would be incomplete without mentioning such a substance as gunpowder. Back in the first centuries of our era, alchemists from the Celestial Empire learned how to extract a mixture of sulfur and saltpeter, which, together with coal, is the basis for chemical formula gunpowder. This discovery was a little ironic. And all because the Chinese were trying to get a substance, thanks to which it would be possible to gain immortality. But instead they created something that takes life.

Gunpowder was used to power weapons and for domestic purposes. Well, everything is clear with the war, but what about the peaceful life? What is the use of such a dangerous substance? It turns out that when outbreaks of a particular disease (epidemic) were observed, gunpowder played the role of a disinfectant. Powder treated a variety of ulcers and wounds on the body. They also poisoned insects.

A few more innovations

Ancient China (the inventions described above) boasts other discoveries. So, for example, it was the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire who invented fireworks, without which not a single solemn event takes place today. The seismoscope also first appeared in ancient China. Tea, beloved by many gourmets, has been grown and prepared in this country. And here came the crossbow, mechanical watches, horse harness, iron plow and many other useful items.

Four great inventions of ancient China - so in the book of the same name, the famous researcher Chinese culture Joseph Needham christened paper, typography, gunpowder, and the compass invented in the Middle Ages. It was these discoveries that contributed to the fact that many areas of culture and arts, previously available only to the rich, became the property of the masses. The inventions of ancient China made long-distance travel possible, which made it possible to discover new lands. So, let's look at each of them in chronological order.

Ancient Chinese Invention No. 1 - Paper

Paper is considered to be the first great invention of ancient China. According to the Chinese chronicles of the Eastern Han Dynasty, invented paper the court eunuch of the Han Dynasty - Cai Lun in 105 AD.

In ancient times in China, before the advent of writing paper, bamboo strips rolled into scrolls, silk scrolls, wooden and clay tablets, etc. were used. The most ancient Chinese texts or “jiaguwen” were found on tortoise shells, which date back to the 2nd millennium BC. e. (Shan Dynasty).

In the 3rd century, paper was already widely used for writing instead of more expensive traditional materials. The paper production technology developed by Cai Lun consisted of the following: a boiling mixture of hemp, mulberry bark, old fishing nets and fabrics turned into pulp, after which it was ground to a paste-like homogeneous state and mixed with water. A sieve in a wooden reed frame was immersed in the mixture, the mass was scooped out with a sieve and shaken to make the liquid glass. In this case, a thin and even layer of fibrous mass was formed in the sieve.

This mass was then overturned onto smooth boards. Boards with castings were laid one on top of the other. They tied the pile and laid the load on top. Then the sheets hardened and strengthened under pressure were removed from the boards and dried. A paper sheet made using this technology turned out to be light, even, durable, less yellow and more convenient for writing.

Ancient Chinese Invention #2 - Printing

The advent of paper, in turn, led to the advent of printing. The oldest known example of woodblock printing is a Sanskrit sutra printed on hemp paper between approximately 650 and 670 CE. However, the first printed book standard size is considered to be made during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) Diamond Sutra. It consists of scrolls 5.18 m long. According to the researcher traditional culture China to Joseph Needham, the printing methods used in the calligraphy of the Diamond Sutra are far superior in perfection and sophistication to the miniature sutra printed earlier.

Typesetting: The Chinese statesman and scholar Shen Kuo (1031-1095) first outlined the method of printing with typesetting in his Dream Stream Notes in 1088, attributing the innovation to an unknown master, Bi Sheng. Shen Kuo described the technological process for the production of fired clay letters, the process of printing and the manufacture of typefaces.

Binding Technique: The advent of printing in the ninth century significantly changed the technique of weaving. Towards the end of the Tang era, the book of rolled paper turned into a stack of sheets, reminiscent of a modern brochure. Subsequently, during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the sheets began to be folded in the center, making a “butterfly” type of dressing, which is why the book has already acquired a modern look. The Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) introduced the stiff paper spine, and later, during the Ming Dynasty, sheets were stitched with thread.

Printing in China has made a great contribution to the preservation of a rich culture that has been formed over the centuries.

Ancient Chinese Invention #3 - Gunpowder

Gunpowder is believed to have been developed in China in the 10th century. At first, it was used as a filling in incendiary shells, and later explosive powder shells were invented. Gunpowder barreled weapon, according to Chinese chronicles, was first used in battles in 1132. It was a long bamboo tube where gunpowder was placed and then set on fire. This "flamethrower" inflicted severe burns on the enemy.

A century later, in 1259, a bullet-shooting gun was invented for the first time - a thick bamboo tube into which a charge of gunpowder and a bullet was placed.

Later, at the turn of the 13th-14th centuries, metal cannons loaded with stone cannonballs spread in the Celestial Empire.

In addition to military affairs, gunpowder was actively used in everyday life. So, gunpowder was considered a good disinfectant in the treatment of ulcers and wounds, during epidemics, and it was also used to bait harmful insects.

However, perhaps the most "bright" invention that appeared due to the creation of gunpowder are fireworks. In the Celestial Empire, they had a special meaning. According to ancient beliefs evil spirits very afraid of bright light and loud sound. Therefore, from ancient times to the New chinese year there was a tradition in the yards to burn bonfires from bamboo, which hissed in the fire and burst with a crash. And the invention of powder charges, of course, frightened the "evil spirits" in earnest - after all, in terms of the power of sound and light, they significantly exceeded the old method. Later, Chinese craftsmen began to create colorful fireworks by adding various substances to gunpowder.

Today, fireworks have become an indispensable attribute of the celebration of the New Year in almost all countries of the world.

Ancient Chinese Invention #4 - Compass

The first prototype of the compass is believed to have appeared during the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD) when the Chinese began to use north-south magnetic iron ore. True, it was not used for navigation, but for divination. In the ancient text "Lunheng", written in the 1st century AD, in chapter 52, the ancient compass is described as follows: "This instrument resembles a spoon, and if it is placed on a plate, its handle will point to the south."

The description of a magnetic compass for determining the cardinal directions was first described in the Chinese manuscript "Wujing Zongyao" of 1044. The compass worked on the principle of residual magnetization from heated steel or iron ingots, which were cast in the shape of a fish. The latter were placed in a bowl of water, and as a result of induction and residual magnetization, weak magnetic forces appeared. The manuscript mentions that this device was used as a course indicator paired with a mechanical "chariot that points south."

A more advanced compass design was proposed by the already mentioned Chinese scientist Shen Ko. In his Notes on the Stream of Dreams (1088), he described in detail the magnetic declination, that is, the deviation from the direction to true north, and the device of a magnetic compass with a needle. The use of a compass for navigation was first proposed by Zhu Yu in the book Table Talk in Ningzhou (1119).

Note:

In addition to the four great inventions of ancient China, the craftsmen of the Celestial Empire gave our civilization the following benefits: chinese horoscope, drum, bell, crossbow, erhu violin, gong, wushu martial arts, qigong health exercises, fork, noodles, steamer, chopsticks, tea, tofu soy cheese, silk, paper money, varnish, bristle toothbrush, toilet paper, kite, gas cylinder, board game Go, playing cards, china and more.

It was accidentally discovered by Chinese alchemists in search of a mixture for human immortality. It was originally used as a medicine.

In the beginning, gunpowder was made from a mixture of potassium nitrate (nitrate), charcoal and sulfur and was first described in the "Collection of the most important military equipment by Zeng Guoliang in 1044. It is assumed that the discovery of gunpowder occurred somewhat earlier, since Zeng describes three different gunpowder mixtures. The Chinese used gunpowder for flares, in fireworks, and in primitive grenades.

2. Compass

9. Paper money

Since paper was already invented by the Chinese anyway, so in addition to writing all kinds of decrees on it, Emperor Xianzun of the Tang Dynasty in 806 AD created paper money. As they say, "cheap and practical." The paper Chinese currency became widely used somewhat later, during the Song dynasty, when the growing economy of China required large working capital. At that time, the Chinese currency was the copper yuan. There was an acute deficiency of copper. The problem was easily solved by paper bills.

Paper replaced copper, silver and gold in mutual settlements, while taxes were paid with paper money. However, the joy at this innovation did not last long. The unsupported money supply grew by leaps and bounds. Lost in 1217, the war with the Mongols finally undermined the confidence of the Chinese in paper currency for several centuries.

10. Silk

Silk was the mediator in establishing peace between ancient China and other cultures. Demand for silk was so high that the thin fabric helped to link China with outside world through trade. The fabric spawned the legendary Silk Road, a trade route stretching from China to the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Methods for creating fabrics from silkworm webs have been around for about 4,700 years. A scroll containing articles on silk production was found in a tomb from the Liangju period, which lasted from 3330 to 2200 BC. The Chinese carefully guarded the origin of silk. Control of the secret technology was lost when monks from Europe got their hands on silkworm cocoons and took them to the West.

Talented Chinese masters never cease to amaze humanity to this day. Even in the field of surrealism, the “Chinese hand” is becoming more and more noticeable. Chinese artist and sculptor Cai Guo Xiang has unveiled some of his magnificent installations to the world.