中国古代发明

Foreword: Hotbed of Invention

The Four Major Inventions

Are the Four Major Inventions the Most Important?

Compass

Gunpowder

Paper

Printing

Other Major Inventions (I)

Iron and Steel Smelting and Ironware

Copper Smelting and Bronze Ware

Extraction and Application of Petroleum

Discovery and Mining of Coal

Pottery and Porcelain

Wine and Liquor

Sericulture

Tea and Tea Culture

Other Major Inventions (II)

Star Catalogue and Star Atlas

Observation of Solar and Lunar Eclipses

Surveying of the Meridian

Zhang Heng and His Seismograph

Guo Shoujing and His Shoushi Calendar

The Decimal and Binary Systems

Zu Chongzhi and Pi

Equal Temperament

Other Major Inventions (III)

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture

Anesthetic

Variolation

The Great Wall

Grand Canal of China

Dujiangyan Irrigation System

Miscellaneous Smart Inventions

Kite

Abacus

Weiqi (Go)

Hot-Air Balloon

Parachute

Archery

Match

Chinese Kung Fu

Football

Golf

Classical Works of Science

Appendix: Chronological Table of the Chinese Dynasties

China as an important source of human civilization had given birth to brilliant ancient science and technology and led the world in most of the history of world civilization, and till the mid-19th century its economy was the largest in the world. The development of science and technology in ancient China was based on the observation and study of the human body, the objective world, the heavens, and the earth, which led to the concept of "Integration of nature and man," The achievements nourished Chinese culture and civilization, and contributed greatly to mankind. Ancient Chinese inventions and discoveries are rich and numerous.