Chinese Inventions

Ancient Chinese Inventions and Contributions
Strayer University
HUM 111- World Culture I
30 May 2013

Introduction
China is an exceptional nation that is famous for its ancient invention and contribution to both the past and the current world. Chinese invention and contribution helped greatly in creating jobs, engaging in Wars and still contributed to public life. This paper will highlight the top ten ancient Chinese inventions and their importance to people’s daily lives.
Eight useful Chinese inventions/contributions
Analysts claim that the top ten ancient Chinese inventions and contributions included paper, money, iron and bronze, gunpowder, printing press, umbrellas, clocks, compasses, porcelain, and alcohol (Van et al., 2010). The clock is a Chinese invention used by both the ancient and the current society. Researchers claim that the first clock came as an invention from a man called Yi Xing, who was a Buddhist monk and a mathematician, belonging to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). According to history researchers, Yi’s clock operated with water steadily dripping on a wheel that made a full revolution in every 24 hours. As time went by, more inventions of clocks spurred with different modification but still using Yi Xing’s clock design. Years later, an astronomer and mechanist named Su Song of the Song Dynasty (906-1272), created a more sophisticated clock that led to the modern clock. Another invention from ancient Chinese was harvesting the silk and using it to make clothes and paper (Van et al., 2010). The oldest silk was found in Henan Province, and it came from Chinese Neolithic period that dates at around 3,630 BC. The silk invention did not only become a vital use but also connected China to the outside world. Additionally, iron was another Chinese invention that dates back to 5th century BC (Van et al., 2010). Archeological evidence confirms that iron makers used pig iron that later on advanced to steel melting. However, the first well-known Chinese metallurgist in ancient China bore the name of Qiwu Huaiwen of the northern Dynasty, who invented the process of using wrought and cast iron to make steel. Another crucial ancient Chinese discovery was the compass (Van et al., 2010). The ancient Chinese compasses were not originally invented for navigation but rather to harmonize buildings and environments in accordance with the principles of Feng Shui’s geometric. Historians claim that the compass aided ancient Chinese empires by promoting exploration.
Gunpowder is another destructive invention discovered in the 9th century by ancient Chinese alchemists, who were searching for an elixir of immortality (Van et al., 2010). Since the 9th century, gunpowder’s common name was the Black powder, which is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate. Gunpowder acts as propellant on firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks because it burns rapidly and generates a large amount of heat and gas. Furthermore, paper was part of an ancient Chinese invention; Cai Lun of the eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), was the first successful man to invent the world’s first batch of paper using fishnets, tree bark and bits of rope and rags. This placed China in the forefront as a main contributor to the development of human civilization because paper is currently a crucial need in people’s lives.
Another vital invention from ancient China is currency. The first means of exchange was cowry shells and coins chipped in the 5th century (Van et al., 2010). Decades later, the coins advanced to bronze with a square hole. Furthermore, the bronze spread trade with other nations and eventually led to current money. Lastly, porcelain also tops the list of Chinese inventions and contributions because it is currently a fundamental tool in society (Van et al., 2010). Researchers claim that ancient prototypes of porcelain existed before the 16th century when it became noticed. As time went by Chinese porcelain, art improved and became very popular and in 1708, a German physicist named Tschirnhausen invented European porcelain, hence ending the Chinese porcelain monopoly.
Four most ingenious or inventible Chinese invention and the reason why they are useful
The four categorized most notable Chinese inventions out of the other eight are paper, money, gunpowder, and clocks. These four inventions improved the lives of the ancient people as well as the current ones. For instance, the invention of the clock helps us manage our time (Deng & Wang, 2005), money contributed to the ease of exchanging goods and services (Deng & Wang, 2005) which also ties with paper and the contribution to making money. Prior to making money, paper is useful in a million ways, and it has improved the way written and printed documentation are presented and stored. More so, paper has improved the packaging of goods and their portability.
To conclude, gunpowder has helped with the invention of guns, which is used for monitoring security (Deng & Wang, 2005). Although guns have contributed to crime, the police have used it to hunt down dangerous criminals because tactfully, there are criminals who will never surrender until unless guns are pointed as them. More so, there are places that would never be safe without the presence of armed police officers. Therefore, gunpowder invention has greatly helped in monitoring security in the society.
One invention/contribution that I cannot live without and why
The one and only Chinese invention and contribution that I greatly depend on and cannot do without is the currency (Van et al., 2010). Money is everything especially in today’s contemporary world where basic life necessities like food, clothing, shelter, education and medication are not accessible without money. In spite of the fact that money has led to high rates of morality and crime in the society its positivity surpasses the negativity because money is the bridge to anything and the more you have the more comfortable your life becomes. Hence, we cannot do without money, and that is why everyone toils and works hard to acquire it or even get more of it.

References
Deng, Y., & Wang, P. (2005). Ancient Chinese inventions. Beijing: China Intercontinental Press.
Van, P. T., Matthews, R., & D 'Ottavi, F. (2010). Ancient Chinese civilization. New York: Rosen Central.

References: Deng, Y., & Wang, P. (2005). Ancient Chinese inventions. Beijing: China Intercontinental Press. Van, P. T., Matthews, R., & D 'Ottavi, F. (2010). Ancient Chinese civilization. New York: Rosen Central.