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The Chinese were developed more than any other ancient civilazation. The Europeans sailed to China to bring back many of these treasured inventions. A few of these inventions are below. Fireworks: The first fireworks were probably made by stuffing gunpowder into some bamboo sticks. Gunpowder was possibly discovered by Chinese medicine men searching for healing plants and cures. They thought that the explosions would scare off evil spirits and ghosts. The tradition of lighting fireworks off on holidays is still very popular in China. Mulberry Bark Paper: Before paper was invented, the Chinese kept records on strips of bamboo but they stopped this idea because the bamboo took up too much room. So in 105 A.D., Ts'ai Lun had a great idea, Re mixed together mushy mixture of mulberry bark, hemp, rags and old fish nets. That's how they made paper! 
The Abacus: An abacus is a row of beads on a metal rod that is used for calculations. This was invented by the Chinese sometime in the second century B.C. Few Chinese are so skilled that they can figure out a difficult math problem on an abacus faster that a person using a calculator! The abacus was an early form of a calculator. (Here is a lesson about using the abacus. Silk: A few centuries ago, the European traders came to get the smooth silk from the Chinese. Only the Chinese knew that silk was made from silkworms because they kept the secret to themselves. It takes forty-thousand silkworms to make just five and a half kilograms of silk! Silk is cool in warm weather and warm in cold weather. 
The Compass: The Chinese were the first to use a lodestone which was a magnetic object that could show direction. The Chinese would used it for finding a good place to bury people. The travelers later used it to guide them in the ocean. The lodestone was finally replaced by a magnatized needle. Kites: The Chinese were the first people to ever make and fly kites. Some Chinese kites are designed as animals and they can roll their eyes. Other kites can flap their wings. The national kite flying day is every year in April. Some Chinese kites are so big that it takes four to five people to make it move and work.. 
Porcelain and China: Porcelain is usually white or cream colored. The first porcelain pots were usually left that color when they made it. Artists started using paints in the thirteenth century. A color of blue from the mineral called cobalt was very popular all over the world because it was blue and white. Porcelain is made from coal dust and a type of fine, white clay called kaolin. It is baked at 1200 degrees Centigrade but but ordinary ceramics are baked at 500 degrees Centigrade. Chinaware was one of the first crafts in China. Pottery was made first for everyday use. The porcelain finally became known as China. Earthquake Sensor: The Chinese developed a way to see if an earthquake was coming. It was a bowl with dragons on the outside holding marbles. If an earthquake shakes the ground, the marble will fall out of the dragon's mouth, into a cup underneath the dragon, and the Chinese would know if an earthquake was coming. Other Chinese inventions are: the clock, the wheelbarrow, the crossbow, the animal harness, the printing press, ink, and playing cards. See China's Gifts to the West, Chinese Inventions, Areas of Technology and Ancient Chinese Technology. Here is a lesson about Chinese Inventions.
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