Monday, January 28, 2008

Wheelbarrows and gunpowder: a selected list of Chinese firsts in technology


Furniture delivery
Originally uploaded by xiaming
The four great inventyions of China include
- magnetic compass
- paper
- gunpowder
- printing

Additional firsts . . .
# Belt drive
# Blast furnace
# Cast iron
# Chain drive
# Chinese calendar
# Chinese cuisine: Tofu, Ramen sushi
# Chopsticks
# Crossbow (repeating)
# Exploding cannonball
# Fire Arrow
# Gunpowder
# Firearm
# Horse collar
# Hull compartments/bulkheads
# Indian ink
# Kite
# Land mines
# Lottery
# Noodle
# Paper
# Pendulum (Zhang Heng)
# Printing (woodblock printing and movable type)
# Rockets: Fire Arrow, Multistage rocket
# Rudder
# Seismometer (of Zhang Heng)
# Silk
# Stirrup
# Toilet paper
# Wheelbarrow

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