We can look around at our lives today and probably not recognize the many inventions and creations that were due to the ancient Chinese.
While there were four civilizations that occurred during the rise of the ancient Chinese, only the Chinese remain as the longest civilization; the other three fell.
The legacy that the ancient Chinese gives the world covers art, life, philosophy, music, tools, weaponry, communication, farming, technology, astronomy, and even religion.
Religions:
Thanks to the Silk Road, the interchange of products between cultures introduced silk to the rest of the world and many of the ideas and products into China.
As the Chinese influence continued many cultures adopted the Buddhist religion and Taoism. This spread to Japan and Korea.
Cultural Infusion:
This is the spread of ideas and as traders spent time learning about the ancient Chinese they also adopted everything from military methods to philosophies.
The Chinese based a lot of their beliefs of cultural advancement on cleanliness and many societies adopted their beliefs, which also led to better health.
Inventions:
The list of Chinese inventions is incredibly long and a short list can include: gun powder, umbrellas, crossbows, kites, paper, tea, silk, pottery, porcelain, metallurgy, earthquake detectors, the compass, wheel barrows, collar harnesses, plows, fireworks, and watermill paper.
The contributions of the ancient Chinese incorporate art, philosophy, technology, and science.
Government:
The ancient Chinese not only had one of the largest continents to try to govern but created a method of centralized governing that could accommodate the many differences in each of their realms.
It ws the Qin dynasty that centralized both military and government, creating individual representatives for each realm and carrying out a very defined list of laws.
As years passed they softened the original harsh rules as they adopted the philosophies of Confucius.
Agriculture:
The ancient Chinese had many variations in the areas that they farmed, however, they developed quite a few technologies and approaches that were eventually used world-wide.
One was a chain pump that could easily move water from the source to the fields through low-irrigation canals and ditches.
Their creation of strong iron plows by melting iron and putting them in molds drastically changed the single item creation process.
The plows then made a drastic difference by pushing dirt away from the plowed row so that dirt didn’t cause a problem piling up in front.
Their creation of the wheelbarrow allowed farmers and peasants to move heavy loads easier.
Industry:
The Han dynasty took advantage of the world’s desire and demand for both silk and salt. During this era they invented a foot powered machine that made silk production easier.
Salt was often more valuable than gold and used to preserve vegetables and meat.
The ancient Chinese developed a method of getting salt that was located deep in the earth through the use of bamboo drills that were diron-tipped.
The bamboo was naturally hollow and had a valve that let the salt water exit a well. They then heated the water to evaporation, leaving behind the salt.
- The ancient Chinese invented a type of paper for their use in art and calligraphy.
- Various medicines and medical procedures were developed by the Chinese including the use of natural herbs and acupuncture.
- The ancient Chinese developed a kind of anesthetic with a specific type of wine.
- The Chinese were well ahead of the rest of the world in understanding the purpose of heartbeat and pulse in regulating the health of an individual.
- The ancient Chinese studied the movement of the moon and the stars and recognized when a solar eclipse would occur.
- Using a lodestone, the Chinese developed the first compass for directional purposes.
- While fireworks were used by the ancient Chinese for fun and celebration, they also invented variations that were used for rocket propulsion.
Q&A:
Name two inventions that are used today that were created by the ancient Chinese.
gun powder, umbrellas, crossbows, kites, paper, tea, silk, pottery, porcelain, metallurgy, earthquake detectors, the compass, wheel barrows, collar harnesses, plows, fireworks, and watermill paper
What is the name of the first Chinese emperor that established a centralize form of government
Qin
What were the two most valuable exports from ancient China?
salt and silk
How did the ancient Chinese change farming methods?
invention of the plow, wheelbarrow, and chain pump for water movement
What is the art form of writing that the ancient Chinese used?
Calligraphy
What is the name of the travel route that the ancient Chinese used to exchange products?
Silk Road
- Back to –
Ancient China