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Uri Boaz

Ms. Diane Nicoll

7th Grade History

October 27, 2017

Medieval Chinese Inventions

The manufacture of paper, wood-block print, the compass, gunpowder, and tea were very

influential in medieval China.

Firstly, the Paper, and the Wood-block print were very influential in medieval Chinese

everyday lives. “Printing was first recorded in imperial decree of 593 in which Sui emperor

Wen-ti ordered the printing of Buddhist images and scriptures,” (Tian). Woodblock printing was

a technique for printing text, or images used a lot in East Asia and originally made in China in

antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper. Mentioning ancient Chinese

education, it is unavoidable to talk about Keju system. Printing also made it possible to start

using paper money and paper certificates. During the Song Dynasty, movable printing was

invented. That dynasty was the first government in the Chinese history to begin the issuance of

“paper money.”

Additionally, Compasses, and Gunpowder were essential to Chinese hunters and soldiers.

“The Ancient Chinese used the compass for navigation – to find their way home when traveling.

The use of the compass for travel also gave the advantage of being able to travel no matter the

weather condition. If clouds or fog masked the sun or the stars, you could still travel because the

compass would point you in the right direction,” (Ross). Ancient Chinese alchemists were trying

to find a potion for immortality and they ended up making gunpowder. When the Chinese found

out that it exploded they used it for fireworks. After a few hundred years they started using it in
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war. They first used it at the beginning of a war to try to scare people off before they fought

them.

Lastly, Tea was one of the most influential inventions of medieval China. “Traditionally,

Tibetan tea is made by boiling the leaf for about half an hour before passing the liquid through a

strainer made of horsehair (sometimes today made of plastic) into a long wooden container,”

(“Ancient China: The Birthplace of Tea”). The popularity of tea in China continued to grow

rapidly from the 4th through the 8th century. No longer merely used for its medicinal properties,

tea became valued for everyday pleasure and refreshment. Tea became so popular in Tibet and

the surrounding areas that it was used as a form of currency. Up to the mid-17th century, all

Chinese teas were Green tea. As foreign trade increased, though, the Chinese growers discovered

that they could preserve the tea leaves with a special fermentation process. The resulting Black

tea kept its flavor and aroma longer than the more delicate Green teas and was better equipped

for the export journeys to other countries.

In conclusion, The manufacture of paper, wood-block print, the compass, gunpowder,

and tea were very helpful in medieval China. The Paper, and the wood-block print were so

impactful that we use them today. Compasses, and Gunpowder were very useful and still are.

Tea was used for many different reasons and is a very common drink today. The manufacture of

paper, wood-block print, the compass, gunpowder, and tea were very crucial inventions in

medieval China and still are today.

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Works Cited

1)Tian, Yu. “The Invention and Impact of Printing in Ancient China.” 28 Oct 2007,

http://courses.educ.ubc.ca/etec540/Sept07/tiany/researchtopic/research%20project.html.

2)Ross, Cody. “Middle Ages Technologies.” four rivers charter,

http://fourriverscharter.org/projects/Inventions/pages/china_gunpowder.htm.

2)“Chinese Compass History: Invention, Dynasty and Navigation.” Learn Chinese History, 2013

- 2017, http://www.learnchinesehistory.com/history-chinese-compass/.

3)“The History of Tea.” Coffee Tea Warehouse, 2005 - 2016,

http://www.coffeeteawarehouse.com/tea-history.html.