25 Notable Chinese Inventions

January 23rd, 2009

The Chinese are responsible for some of the most prolific inventions in all of history. The aptly named Four Great Inventions of Ancient China: paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing have contributed a great deal to society. But some other great innovations have come from China over the years. Some are surprising, some are odd, and some are just plain cool.

Acupuncture

The traditional Chinese medicinal practice of inserting needles into specific points of the body for therapeutic purposes and relieving pain, was first mentioned in the Huangdi Neijing compiled from the 3rd to 2nd centuries BC. The oldest known acupuncture needles made of gold, were found in the tomb of Liu Sheng (113 BC).

Banknote

Its roots were in merchant receipts of deposit during the Tang Dynasty (618–907), as merchants and wholesalers desired to avoid the heavy bulk of copper coins in large transactions. During the Song Dynasty (960–1279), the central government adopted this system for their monopolized salt industry. The Song Dynasty government later initiated a nationwide paper currency, sometime between 1265 and 1274.

Bell

Made first of pottery and later bronze, used for their sounding ability and for cultural rituals.

Belt Drive

The mechanical belt drive, with a large wheel and small pulley, was first mentioned by the Han Dynasty author Yang Xiong in 15 BC, used for a quilling machine that wound silk fibers on to bobbins.

Blast Furnace

Although cast iron tools and weapons have been found in China dating to the 5th century BC, the earliest discovered Chinese blast furnaces, which produced pig iron that could be refined as cast iron date to the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC.

Cast Iron

Confirmed by archaeological evidence, cast iron, made from melting pig iron, was developed in China by the early 5th century BC during the Zhou Dynasty.

Chrome Plating

The use of chromium was invented in China no later than 210 BC, the date when the Terracotta Army was interred at a site not far from modern Xi'an. Archaeologists discovered that bronze-tipped crossbow bolts at the site showed no sign of corrosion after more than 2,000 years of being interred, the reason being that the Chinese had coated the bronze tips of their crossbow bolts in chromium.

Fermented Beverages

Chemical tests on 9,000 year old pottery jars have revealed a fermented beverage of hawthorn fruit and wild grape, beeswax associated with honey, and rice.

Fireworks

Fireworks first appeared in China during the Song Dynasty (960–1279), in the early age of gunpowder. Common people in the Song era could purchase simple fireworks from market vendors made of sticks of bamboo packed with gunpowder.

Fishing Reel

The earliest known depiction of a fishing reel comes from a painting done in 1195 by Ma Yuan called "Angler on a Wintry Lake," showing a man sitting on a small sampan boat while casting out his fishing line.

Food Steamer

Using steam to cook began with the pottery cooking vessels known as a yan steamer. A yan is composed of two vessels, a zeng with perforated floor on top  of a pot or caldron with a tripod base and a top cover. A yan steamer dating from about 5000 BC is the oldest found to date.

Fork (the utensil)

Although well known for the chopstick, forks have been found at burial sites dating from the early Bronze Age Qijia culture (2400–1900 BC).

India Ink

Although named after carbon pigment originating from India, Indian ink first appeared in China dating back to the Wei Dynasty (220–265 AD).

Kite

The philosopher and engineer Lu Ban (5th century BC) created a wooden bird that remained flying in the air for three days, essentially a kite. There is evidence that kites were used as rescue signals when the city of Nanjing was besieged.

Lacquer

Created from a chemical extracted from the Lac tree found in China, lacquer has been used on everything from bowls to wooden coffins.

Land Mine

Evidence suggests that the first use of a land mine in history was by a brigadier general known as Lou Qianxia to kill intruding Mongol soldiers invading Guangxi in 1277.

Negative Numbers

The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art compiled during the Han Dynasty in 179 AD indicate negative numbers as black rods and positive numbers as red rods in the Chinese counting rods system.

Noodles

Archeological excavations have revealed 4,000-year-old noodles made of millet in China.

Pinhole Camera

The ancient Chinese philosopher Mozi (470 BC – 391 BC) first described a pinhole camera by stating that a "collecting place" (pinhole) was an empty hole "like the sun and moon depicted on the imperial flags," where an image could be inverted at an intersecting point which "affects the size of the image."

Playing Cards

The first reference to a card game in history dates no later than the 9th century, when the Collection of Miscellanea written by Su E (fl. 880), described the Wei clan enjoying the "leaf game" in 868. During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), characters from popular novels such as the Water Margin were widely featured on the faces of playing cards.

Rowing Oar

Six wooden oars dating from the 6000 BC have been found in Zhejiang, China.

Restaurant Menu

During the early Song Dynasty (960–1279) traveling foreigners and Chinese who migrated to urban centers from regions with different cooking styles encouraged a demand for a variety of flavors served at urban restaurants, giving rise to the menu.

Silk

The oldest silk found in China comes from the Chinese Neolithic period and is dated to about 3630 BC. A bronze fragment dated to the Shang Dynasty found contains the first known written reference to silk.

Toilet Paper

Toilet paper was first mentioned by the official Yan Zhitui (531–591) in the year 589 during the Sui Dynasty.

Wooden Coffin

The earliest evidence of a wooden coffin dates back to 5000 BC in Shaanxi, China. The thickness of the wood used in their construction signified the importance of the person buried in it.

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