When we think about China, the first things that pop into mind are probably hard-working people, the Great Wall, which has a length of over 20,000 kilometers, and tech companies responsible for building smartphones, such as Huawei or Oppo. But China means a lot more than that, and it clearly deserves a lot more attention and consideration.
China is widely recognized as one of the oldest continuous civilizations on our planet. The history of the Chinese civilization can be traced back thousands of years. For instance, the Xia Dynasty, which is considered the first dynasty in Chinese history, is said to have existed about 2070-1600 BCE.
Let’s have a closer look at some of the most important scientific and technological contributions that China has had throughout its history:
Mechanical clock (1088):
Su Song was the one who designed an intricate astronomical clock tower during the Song Dynasty by incorporating an escapement mechanism and power-driven by water.
Seismoscope (132 CE):
Zhang Heng was responsible for inventing the first seismoscope, which was an outstanding ancient device that was able to detect and record earthquakes. Of course, this was a remarkable achievement for understanding seismic activity.
Porcelain Production (c. 7th century):
China also has a long history when it comes to producing high-quality porcelain, meaning a type of ceramic. The techniques used for making porcelain were even closely guarded secrets for many centuries.
Decimal system (c. 4th century BCE):
Chinese mathematicians are responsible for developing a decimal positional numeral system, which acted as a strong influence on the broader adoption of the system in various cultures.
Papermaking (c. 2nd century BCE):
Cai Lun is credited for the invention of paper during the Eastern Han Dynasty, which revolutionized the way people communicated and stored information.
Printing (c. 7th century):
Woodblock printing was developed during the Tang Dynasty, and later, Bi Sheng invented movable type printing in the 11th century.
There are many inventions and scientific discoveries that weren’t mentioned here, and that also showcased the major contributions of Chinese civilization to the evolution of the world throughout history.