
Under the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), some Chinese scientists decided to experiment with ways to predict earthquakes. When you’re not prepared for them, they can cause severe damage. #4 The earthquake detector: the most brilliant Chinese invention
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The next Chinese invention will most likely make you go “wow,” plus it’s all about dragons. Let’s explore a little bit further the mechanical skills of the Chinese.

Amazing, don’t you think?! How did he do that? Well, he added a chain-driven mechanism to a water-powered clock, and magic happened! Under the Song dynasty (916 – 1279), 苏颂 Su Song, a well-known official, built a huge clock tower that could tell the hours of the day, the day of the month, and the moon phase and the position of a few stars and planets. This wouldn’t be possible without the invention of the first mechanical clock by the Chinese. What time is it? This question is maybe one of the most frequently asked questions each day! Your wristwatch - or your cellphone - is certainly one of your best friends when it comes to telling time. Try Ninchanese, an award-winning method to learn Chinese today: Start Learning Now #3 The smart Chinese invention: the mechanical clock I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot! “ ” I actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a MA in Chinese. 🏮 Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!🏮 Even though credit card use now tends to surpass the use of paper money, banknotes are still rocking! Let’s jump to the third Chinese creation that is going to leave you voiceless! Nowadays, we use paper money for everything almost everywhere around the world. The banknotes were meant to record how much money the people had in their pockets. At that time, carrying coins began to be too heavy, and merchants thus decided to create banknotes as a means of currency instead. The invention of paper money stems from creating the printing block, which made possible the printing of many banknotes. Paper money! The Chinese introduced the first banknotes under the Tang dynasty (618 – 907). Can you guess what it is? #2 Paper money, the Chinese creation that changed the world The next Chinese invention on our list has changed the world forever and still very much used nowadays. Later on, the Chinese improved their first compass to create the magnetic needle compass during the 8th century AD, used on water. Interesting use of the compass, don’t you think? The first compasses were made of a spoon-shaped lodestone, a naturally magnetic stone that naturally indicates the South. Long before Navigators used it for navigation, the compass was used by fortune tellers on their boards to make predictions. How was this navigational instrument invented? The Chinese created the compass around the Qin Dynasty era (255 BC – 206 BC), but not for the reasons you’d expect. Long before European navigators roamed the seas, the Chinese invented the compass. It’s one of the 四大发明 sì the 4 great Chinese inventions, but people tend to forget about it. The first item on our list of ancient Chinese inventions is the compass.

Ready to see what was invented in China? Prepare to be amazed! #1 The most fascinating of all the Chinese inventions: the compass But the Chinese didn’t stop at these fantastic inventions! They also created a lot more things without which your life wouldn’t be the same, and you probably don’t even know it! So we put together for you a list of 10 surprising Chinese inventions you didn’t realize were Chinese, ranked from the least to the most surprising.

Paper, gunpowder, and even the printing block are 2 of the 四大发明 sì the 4 great Chinese inventions. You may know that the Chinese created lots of inventions that have changed the world during the Chinese dynasties. Nope, it’s not England but China! Surprised? Well, see the rest they are astonishing. Think England is the country that invented football? Let me prove you wrong. Check out this post to discover 10 Chinese inventions we bet you never thought were Chinese.
