Ancient Chinese Contributions

Ancient Chinese contributions

Introduction

In the last two centuries, we have seen a great deal of advancement in all areas of life. The origins of all these advancements if looked closely can be traced back to the ancient cultures. Many cultures have contributed in providing a foundation for things that exist today but the most significant and major contributions come from the ancient Chinese. The world is indebted to them for the numerous inventions and contributions in different sectors. The Han dynasty from 206 BC to 220 AD is most credited for the majority of the contributions of Ancient Chinese.

Discussion

Many inventions and contributions are attributed with the ancient Chinese; some of the most significant and those that have impacted the modern world include the invention of paper, wheel barrow, seismograph, compass, map, glazed pottery, gunpowder, hot air balloon, tea, silk, and therapy of acupuncture. Although all these inventions and many more by ancient Chinese are innovative and useful, the invention of paper, compass, gun powder and printing are considered to be the most important (Yinke, 2011).

The contributions of these four inventions are manifold in the modern world and based on those contributions they can be considered to be the most useful contributions of the ancient Chinese. The invention of paper and paper making can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty, when Chinese people used animal bones, turtle back or stones to write words. Later eras saw the use of bamboo and wooden tablets for similar purposes, but they were too heavy to carry easily (www.kwintessential.co.uk). It was in the Han Dynasty that the use of thin paper made of silk or cotton can be seen. This was easier to write on compared to the previously used materials but was expensive. From then onwards, innovations were brought to the concept of ...