A brief history of four great Chinese inventions

The four great inventions of ancient China refer to papermaking, printing, gunpowder and the compass. They are celebrated in China for their huge impact on the entire world.

China was the world's first country to make paper. Paper was made during the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC - 8 AD).

In 105, Cai Lun improved the papermaking method. He used worn-out fishnet, tree bark, bits of rope, and rags as raw materials, which could be easily found and bought at low cost. The invention and use of paper led to a revolution in the manufacture of writing materials, paving the way for the invention of printing technologies.

Before the invention of Chinese printing, book production was laborious and expensive. Hand copying usually led to errors.

So, Chinese invented two types of printing - woodblock printing and moveable type printing. The second one was invented in China in the 1040s by Bi Sheng, who employed baked clay pottery characters placed on an iron frame.

Gunpowder, a mixture of niter, sulphur and charcoal, was probably invented in the ninth century. It was discovered when Chinese alchemists were attempting to make gold and an elixir of immortality.

It is said that China's first use of gunpowder in warfare was in 919. Many believe explorer Marco Polo introduced Chinese gunpowder to Europe through the ancient Silk Road. In later years, it is believed to have led to the invention of guns and cannon which replaced old weapons such as swords and bows.

It is also believed that the magnetic compass called sinan, a south-pointing ladle, was invented in China during the Warring States period (475BC-221 BC). In later years, the compass has been developed into the modern version and been widely used in sea explorations and wars.

(China Daily USA 07/03/2017 page13)