One of the remarkable inventions of ancient China is what everyone cannot live without, today: paper. Although it is said to be on the verge of extinction in the digital age, the paper still dominates human life. Before China invented paper, humans had to bank on nature’s gifts such as tortoise shells, bones and bamboo slips. Chinese inventors initially used hemp fibre and silk to produce paper, though it was not really up to standard. Later on, however, they explored more practical substances out of which to manufacture paper.
Apart from the paper, China shook the world by coming up with another invention: gunpowder. This invention was purely an accident though it gradually turned out to be good news for the military forces. China evolved from bamboo tubes into gunpowder and rest of the world followed suit. The gunpowder was initially used during the Tang dynasty. The most ancient recipe for gunpowder is said to have been prepared by three men: Zeng Gongliang, Ding Du and Yang Weide during the Song dynasty. If you are interested in touring the main sites of these ancient dynasties, book a stay at any of the hotels in Guiyang and arrange tours from there. You can get tours arranged from places such as Anantara Guiyang Resort.
An innovation more resourceful to the human race, the compass, was also born in ancient China. Initially titled as Si Nan, this compass was a magnet in the shape of a ladle on a plate. The ladle was pointed to the south. During the 11th century, the ancient Chinese introduced small magnetised needles to the compass. This compass was a helpful tool for ships in long distance sailing. The compass found its way to Europe during the 14th century.
The printing machine is another remarkable invention from China. Although printing mechanisms have come a long way today, they were initially executed with reusable clay. It was invented by Bi Sheng during the period of Emperor Ren Zong. The reusable clay had benefits such as the capacity to be used for different books. The ancient Chinese were keen on developing a proper printing technique mainly because their alphabet is intricately complicated with a large number of characters available.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+
