ANCIENT CHINESE

CONTRIBUTIONS

Chinese Inventions

Umbrella

Umbrellas were invented by the Chinese. The umbrellas were made from oiled paper because oil repels water. The frames of the umbrellas were made from mulberry bark or bamboo. Red and yellow umbrellas were used by royalty, and blue umbrellas were used by the common people. The Chinese also used umbrellas to keep the sun off their skin.

Seismograph

During the Han Dynasty an astronomer invented this earthquake device to give warning of an earthquake. The seismograph looks like a bronze vase covered with dragons and toads. Inside the vase swung a long metal pendulum. Outside the vase, eight dragons' heads were mounted onto its sides. The dragon heads were evenly spaced apart and each dragon had a ball in its mouth. Below each dragon was a toad, with its mouth open.

When an earthquake occurred, the pendulum would swing in the direction in which the earthquakeoccurred. The pendulum would hit a rod inside the vase. This rod would knock a ball out of a dragon's mouth. The ball would drop into the toad's mouth. The ball came out in the direction in which the earthquake had occurred. This would signal an earthquake.

The ancient Chinese needed this invention because China experienced many devastating earthquakes. The Chinese could provide more help to the earthquake victims if they were able to tell the direction that they should head with the supplies. Remember that during the time period of ancient China there were no methods of fast communication available; therefore, it was important to have a clue where to head with the supplies.

Blast Furnace

In the 6th century B.C. , the ancient Chinese were the first people to use cast iron for tools, weapons, and cooking pots. It was a long process to make the cast iron. Therefore, in the first century A.D. , a blast furnace was invented by an unknown person. The blast furnace was powered by steam and boiling water. The furnace shot out hot air which heated the iron. Heated iron is much easier to work with. This early furnace might have opened the way for the creation of steel.

Tea Shredder 

The ancient Chinese loved to drink tea. Drinking tea became very popular during the Tang Dynasty. At first, tea leaves had to be chopped or shredded by hand which was very time-consuming. A Chinese inventor created the tea shredder. The tea shredder had a wheel in the center which would slice the tea leaves into thin strips. This would make the job easier and less time-consuming.

Wheelbarrow

The wheelbarrow was invented by the Chinese. The Chinese wheelbarrow had a single wheel in the middle of the wheelbarrow. Farmers used the wheelbarrow to take a load of produce to the market place. Builders used the wheelbarrow to carry heavy building supplies. Soldiers used the wheelbarrow to remove injured or dead people from the battlefield.

Yoke

The ancient Chinese laborer used a yoke to carry things. A yoke is a stick that is carried across the shoulders and back. Buckets are hung or objects are tied to the end of the yoke. Many workers in isolated, rural areas of China today continue to use a yoke to carry items.

Credits: Information and the black and white pictures on this page came from Behind the Great Wall: A Journey to the Middle Kingdom by Demco Inc.

Paper

One of China's greatest contributions to the world was the invention of paper. During the Han Dynasty (around 200 B.C.), the Chinese used plant materials and silk rags to make paper. They made durable, long-lasting paper by 105 A.D. This paper became the common form of writing materials for records and books. The Chinese also used paper for creating landscape and figure paintings, windows, lanterns, umbrellas, and fans.

Other Inventions / Contributions

Great Wall	Fireworks	Gunpowder	Compass
Martial Arts	Acupuncture	Movable Type	Silk Road
Kites	Porcelain	Stirrups-Horseback Riding	Junk (Boat)

Compass

Boat

Silk Road

Silk Road

Silk Road Map

The Silk Road is an ancient trade route that links China to the West. The Silk Road became the longest ground trade route in the ancient world. It stretched from China to imperial Rome which is now present day Italy. Traveling merchants rarely made the trip from one end of the road to the other. In fact, a network of market towns where goods were bartered or sold were developed along the route. After making trades along the way, merchants returned to their homelands.

For thousands of years, items were exchanged by Asian, European, and African civilizations. Because of this, many trade routes were formed. However, beginning around 100 B.C. there was a demand for China's silk, especially in Rome. Because of the demand for silk, many of the trade routes became connected and formed what became known as the Silk Road.

Ideas and goods were carried along the Silk Road between the eastern (China) and Western (Rome) civilizations. Silk, jade, tea, and new technology were Chinese goods that traveled westward along the route. Precious metals such as gold and silver, new foods, wool and the Buddhist religion traveled from the west to China.

Travel along the Silk Road was dangerous. The road passed over high mountain peaks and through deserts, plains and forests. The mountains of the Silk Road are some of the highest in the world. Because the Silk Road was so difficult to travel, only goods of high value would make it worth the trader's time. Precious goods encouraged another danger of the Silk Road---robbers!

The Silk Road never existed only for trading silk, but it was one of the great trade routes of history. Some of the items that were traded along the route include:

silk	nuts	food	furs	dyes
flowers	jade	salt	horses	onions
incense	pepper	tea	spices	oils

Finally, the Silk Road allowed ideas, religions and technologies such as paper-making and glass-making to spread.