Ancient Chinese Contributons - Essay Example

The top ten ancient Chinese invention and include paper, money, iron and bronze, gunpowder, printing press, umbrellas, clocks, compasses, porcelain, and alcohol (Van et al., 2010). Beginning with a close look at the invention of the clock, we find out that researchers claim the invention of the first clocks was the doing of a man who bore the name of Yi Xing. This man was a Buddhist monk and a mathematician belonging to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). History claims that Yi’s clock operated with water that steadily dripped on a wheel that made a full revolution every twenty-four hours.

Prior to Yi’s clock, other inventors later came up with different ideas of creating clocks but still maintained Yi Xing’s clock design. However, an astronomer and mechanist named Su Song of the Song Dynasty (906-1272) years later created a more sophisticated clock that eventually developed into the modern clock. The other crucial invention from ancient China was harvesting silk and using it to make clothes and paper (Van et al., 2010). The oldest silk discovery took place in Henan Province at around 3,630 BC.

Silk invention did not only become a vital material for making clothes in China, but it also connected China to the outside world in terms of business. Processing of iron ore was another Chinese invention that dates back to the fifth century (Van et al., 2010). Archeological evidence confirms that iron makers used pig iron to make iron but later on advanced to steel melting. The first well-known Chinese metallurgist in ancient China bore the name of Qiwu Huaiwen of the northern Dynasty; he invented a more advanced process of making iron by using wrought and cast iron to make steel.

Compass also tops the list of crucial Chinese inventions and contributions (Van et al., 2010). History claims that the ancient Chinese compasses were not specifically for navigation purposes but were rather meant to harmonize buildings and environments in accordance with the principles of Feng Shui’s geometrics. In addition, the ancient Chinese also invented Gunpowder in the ninth century (Van et al., 2010). The other common name of gunpowder is black powder, and it is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate.

Gunpowder acts as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks because it burns rapidly and generates a large amount of heat and gas. Paper was among crucial inventions made by the ancient Chinese. A man bearing the name of Cai Lun of the eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) was the man to invent the world’s first batch of paper using fishnets, tree bark, and bits of rope and rags, hence placing China in the forefront as a main contributor to the development of human civilization because paper is currently a crucial element in millions of people’s lives.

Currency also originated from ancient China. The ancient Chinese did not invent currency instantly but rather used cowry shells as their means of exchange. These individuals used cowry shells in trade until coins were introduced in around the fifth century (Van et al., 2010). Decades later, the coins advanced to bronze with a square hole and henceforth became a means of exchange all over China as well as in other countries. Porcelain is among the Chinese inventions and contributions whose main application was in the production of home ware and