1. Drum:
It is said that the Chinese had man-made drums in 3500 BC. In 3000 BC, the method of making drums was to cover the frame or container with animal skins. The Chinese invented the timpani in the 2nd century BC.
2. Binary system:
It is said that Fuxi invented the binary system in 3000 BC. "Book of Changes" is one of the Five Classics. It is one of the oldest classics in my country. It is said that the "Book of Changes" was composed of Fuxi's hexagrams, King Wen of Zhou's heavy hexagrams, and Zhou Gong's Yao (YAO) poems about 3000 BC. It was revised by Confucius and became the "Book of Changes". Contemporary electronic computers do not use decimal but binary. Who invented binary? The "Yisu" in "The Book of Changes" uses the binary system. In other words, Fuxi invented binary.
3. Rope:
In 2800 BC, the Chinese had mastered the technology of creating hemp rope. Our people began to use hemp fiber to make rope. By the beginning of the Christian era, hemp fiber had become the primary rope-making material in most parts of the world.
4. Compass:
It is said that the compass was invented by Emperor Xuanyuan of China in 2700 BC. Huang Di used a compass to identify the direction in the fog and defeated Chi You. According to historical records, the Chinese have been using compasses as early as the Warring States Period. "Han Feizi" written in the 3rd century BC said that during the Warring States Period, some people already used "Sinan" (compass). In 1090, Chinese and Arab navigators began to install compasses on their ships. as a navigation tool. In Europe, around the 11th century, compasses were made from magnetic needles floating on water.
5. Fish farming method:
In 2500 BC, the Chinese already knew how to raise fish. At that time, our people could artificially hatch fish eggs and raise them for consumption. From the 1960s to the 1970s, artificial breeding of frogfish and other fish was only used in Europe and the United States.
6. Equatorial astronomical instrument: In 2400 BC, the Chinese invented the equatorial astronomical instrument.
7. Decimal counting system:
The Chinese invented the decimal counting system in the 14th century BC. It is very important in modern science. The earliest evidence of its formal adoption by Europeans was found in a Spanish manuscript in 976 AD. China had already adopted it as early as the Shang Dynasty in the 14th century BC.
8. Printing:
Printing is one of the four great inventions of our country. In 868, the Chinese invented block printing. The Diamond Sutra was relief printing. It is a 5.25-meter scroll printed with multiple blocks 91 centimeters long and 36 centimeters wide.
In the 1040s, Chinese engraver Bi Sheng invented movable type printing in Beijing. In 1438, Genferdischer (a German) who lived in Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany, created the mold for movable metal alphabets.
In 1107, the Chinese also invented color printing. More than 600 years later, in 1719, the color printing press designed by Le Blanc of Germany obtained a patent.
9. Lacquer - the world's first plastic:
The Chinese had invented and used lacquer as late as the 13th century BC. The tomb of "Fu Hao" (buried in the 13th century AD) was excavated in Anyang City, Henan Province in 1976, as evidenced by her lacquered coffin. Joseph Needham said: "Lacquer may be the oldest industrial plastic known to mankind."
10. Mirror:
The Chinese invented the bronze mirror in about the 12th century BC. The Chinese also invented the magic mirror in the 5th century AD; British crystallographer William Bragg systematically clarified the theory of the magic mirror in 1932, about 1,500 years later than China.
The Magic Mirror is one of the most bizarre objects in the world. What's so wonderful about the magic mirror? On the reverse side of the magic mirror is cast a bronze pattern - an image or text, or both. The side that reflects light is convex and is made of polished bronze used as a mirror.
Under most lighting conditions, this mirror looks like any other ordinary mirror. However, when the magic mirror is used in bright sunlight, its reflective side can be "seen through." Use a mirror to reflect sunlight onto a dark wall, and people can see the pattern or text on the mirror from the image projected on the wall. Solid bronze products become transparent. This mysterious phenomenon led the Chinese to give the magic mirror the name "Light Mirror".
Bronze is opaque, but it actually makes people feel translucent. Why is this? This mysterious depth has been discussed by Chinese and foreign scholars for hundreds of years. Chinese scientist Shen Huo and foreign scientist Sir William Blige have both expressed their opinions. When Sir William Brigg discovered this mystery in 1932, he said: "It is the amplification of reflection that makes the pattern appear clearly." Needham called all this "a step forward on the road to mastering the expression of fine structures in metal." The first step.”
11. Umbrella:
In 1100 BC, the Chinese had already used umbrellas to express their identity. The ribs are made of bamboo or sandalwood and covered with an umbrella canopy made of leaves or feathers. The word "umbrella" did not appear in English until the 12th century AD. In the past, there were only parasols. It was not until 1733 that Parisians used oilcloth as an umbrella surface to make umbrellas. Some people in academia also say that the umbrella was invented in China during the Three Kingdoms period in the 4th century AD.
12. Kite:
In 1000 BC, the Chinese were the first to fly kites. Long before history was recorded, it was said that the Chinese could fly kites. According to legend, in the fourth century BC, the famous Chinese craftsman Lu Ban (also known as Gongshu Ban) made a kite that could fly for three days without falling. Another story tells of a general who surrounded the palace and used kites to measure the distance between the palace walls and his own troops. In 1600 AD, the Oriental kite (diamond-shaped) was introduced to Europe by the Dutch. Kites flying into the sky provide the principle and inspiration for airplanes to fly into the sky.
13. Bow and arrow:
The Chinese invented the bow and arrow in the 8th century BC. The Chinese invented the crossbow in 200 BC. It is mainly used for fighting and hunting. It can be fired lying down, standing up, and mounted. It is very powerful. In Europe, Italy only used bows in the 10th century AD.
14. Ancient robots:
During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty from 770 BC to 256 BC, the Chinese had invented ancient robots. In today's world, whenever we talk about robots, we always talk about Europe, America, and the East. However, did you know that the first people in the world to make ancient robots were the Chinese. The robots made in ancient China were not only exquisite, but also had a wide range of uses. There were all kinds of robots. There are robots that can dance, robots that can sing and play the sheng, robots that can catch fish...etc., you can find them all.
Dancing robot. Duan Anxi of the Tang Dynasty in my country said: During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was besieged by the Xiongnu Chanyu Maodun in Pingcheng. Chen Ping of the Han army learned that the soldiers commanded by Maodun's wife Yan were the most elite and fierce troops in the country, but Yan had a jealous character. So Chen Ping ordered the craftsmen to make an exquisite wooden robot. Dress up the wooden robot in beautiful clothes, dress it up beautifully, and paint its face with rouge to make it look more handsome. Then put it on the parapet (the short wall on the city wall), turn off the engine (the starting part of the machine), and the robot will dance gracefully, gracefully and lovable. The Yan family saw this scene very clearly outside the city, and mistakenly mistook the dancing robot for a real human beauty. She was afraid that after the city was broken, she would indulge in this beautiful girl from the Central Plains and neglect herself, so the Yan family led her troops. Abandoned the city and left. Only then did Pingcheng turn the danger into safety.
A robot that can sing and play the sheng. The robots in the Tang Dynasty were more sophisticated and magical. Zhang Yuan, a native of the Tang Dynasty, said in "The Complete Collection of Government and Opposition": Yin Wenliang of Luozhou once served as a county magistrate (equivalent to "county chief"), with a smart personality and a fondness for drinking. He carved a wooden robot and dressed it in silk and satin clothes; he made the robot serve as a waitress. This "waitress" is always polite and courteous when drinking wine.
A robot that makes money.
During the Tang Dynasty, a craftsman named Yang Wulian in Hangzhou, my country, developed a robot that looked like a monk. It held a copper alms bowl in its hand and could imitate the monks in alms making. When the money in the bowl was full, it would automatically collect the money. And it will bow to the donor. Citizens in Hangzhou rushed to invest money in this bowl to watch this wonderful performance. It can actually earn thousands of dollars for its owner every day. It can be said to be ingenious and wise in making money.
A robot that can catch fish. Robots in the Tang Dynasty were also used in production practice. Liuzhou Shi Wangzhi of the Tang Dynasty developed an otter-like robot. It can sink in the water of rivers and lakes. After catching a fish, its head will emerge from the water. Why can it catch fish? If you put a bait in the mouth of this robot and install the starting parts, it can sink into the water by hanging it with a stone. When the fish eats the bait, this part is activated, and the stone falls from its mouth into the water. When its mouth is closed, the fish in its mouth cannot escape, and it floats from the water to the surface. This is the world's first robot used in production.
In addition, in books such as "Records of Lost Relics", there are also records of ancient robots performing on the stage and holding lamps to accompany the blind.
15. Branch cultivation and precision tillage methods:
In the 6th century BC, the Chinese invented branch cultivation and precision tillage methods; Europeans did not use this technology until 1731.
16. Iron plow:
In the 6th century BC, the Chinese invented the iron plow. Europeans did not use iron plows until the 17th century. In 1050 AD, the Chinese also invented the plow mirror, which equipped plows with plow mirrors to facilitate soil turning, thus increasing agricultural output.
17. The Great Timing Bell: The Chinese invented the Great Timing Bell in the 6th century BC; Europeans did not have the Great Timing Bell until 1000 AD, about 1,600 years later than China. .
18. Abacus:
The Chinese invented the abacus in 550 BC for calculation. It has also been a widely used calculation tool in business since ancient times. It was later spread to all parts of the world. It was gradually replaced by modern Arabic numerals in the 12th century. Until the 20th century, many people in the former Soviet Union and the Far East still used abacus.
19. Carpets:
Carpets have been used in China since 500 BC. The earliest known carpets originated in China and Iran in the fifth century BC. In 1606, carpets woven by looms were first used near Paris, France.
20. Double-acting piston bellows: The Chinese invented the double-acting piston bellows in the 5th century BC. The West only used double-acting piston bellows in the 16th century.
21. Petroleum lighting method:
Around the 4th century BC, the Chinese invented the petroleum lighting method and the natural gas lighting method.
22. Iron casting: In the 4th century BC, the Chinese invented iron casting.
23. The world’s first contour canal—Ling Canal
The West only built a contour canal in the 13th century AD, 1,600 years later than China. about.
24. Three-dimensional map:
The Chinese invented the three-dimensional map as early as the 3rd century BC at the latest. In "Historical Records" written by Sima Qian, there is a map of Qin Shihuang's tomb drawn in 210 BC. The book wrote: "Use mercury to form the rivers and seas, instilling the mechanism, with astronomy at the top and geography at the bottom." A report in the "Daily Telegraph" in June 1985 said: Although Qin Shihuang's tomb has not yet been opened, it may Already discovered. It is said that trace amounts of mercury were found at the entrance to the tomb. Archaeologists speculate that this may be the mercury shown on the above-mentioned three-dimensional map.
In the military three-dimensional map mentioned by General Ma Yuan in 32 AD, the models of river valleys and mountains were made of glutinous rice. In addition, woodcut three-dimensional topographic maps also appeared. The great scientist Shen Kuo once described this kind of map in "Mengxi Bi Tan". In 1130 Huang Shang also produced a three-dimensional woodcut map. This map later aroused the interest of the philosopher Zhu Xi, who did everything possible to collect woodcut topographic maps for research. He himself sometimes made three-dimensional topographic maps using clay and sometimes woodcuts.
Huang Shang also described a topographic map made by Zhu Xi in his book "Helin Jade Dew": "(Zhu Xi) wanted to use wood to make a map of Huayi and carve the uneven shape of the landscape. He combined eight pieces of wood to make it. . It can be folded with male and female tenons. It can be folded with one's own strength. It is possible that the production of three-dimensional topographic maps was not spread from China to Arabia. , and later spread to Europe. In 1510, Paul Doakes produced Europe's earliest topographical map, which mapped the vicinity of Kufstein in Austria. Ibe the Arab. Battita (AD 1304-1377) described a three-dimensional topographic map he saw in Gibraltar. There are no records of three-dimensional topographic maps in countries other than China earlier than this.
25. Suspension Bridge:
Chinese Li Bing built the Anlan Bridge in Guan County, Sichuan Province in the 3rd century BC. This is the earliest bamboo cable chain bridge built in the world. It has a total length of 320 meters, eight holes, and not a single piece of metal in the entire structure. This suspension bridge is paved with boards to facilitate people walking. The Chinese invented the iron suspension bridge in the 1st century AD. The bridge can be used for passing vehicles. The first suspension bridge in the West, the Wench Bridge, was built in 1741 AD.
26. Notation:
Before 221 BC, the Chinese had invented notation. More than 2,000 years ago, during the Warring States Period in China, there was Guanxi, which is the abbreviation of the 12-temperature Chinese music. Around 1200 AD, Franco of Cologne created a set of rhythm symbols in his writings, dividing the temperament into four lengths, which gradually evolved into a modern notation method.
27. Papermaking:
Around 200 BC, the Chinese invented papermaking. In 105 AD, Cai Lun during the Eastern Han Dynasty produced Caihou paper. Papermaking is one of China's four great inventions.
Before the invention of paper, humans carved characters on stones, clay, and wood, as well as leaves and bark; some wrote on bamboo, papyrus knots, and sheepskin. In the pre-Qin period of our country, ministers would submit a letter of recommendation to the emperor or the emperor and write the content on bamboo. This letter of recommendation would require two people to carry it and present it to the head of state, which was really inconvenient. By around 200 AD, the Chinese invented papermaking. In the past, it was said that Cai Lun invented papermaking in 105 AD during the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, judging from the unearthed period paper, historical records and analysis show that the Chinese knew how to make paper long before Cai Lun. Cai Lun just summarized the experience of folk papermaking, improved it and made higher-quality Caihou paper.
28. Parachute:
The Chinese invented the parachute in the 2nd century BC. Many people know that Leonardo da Vinci left a sketch of a parachute, which marked the time when Europeans first came up with the idea of ??making a parachute. But 1,500 years before Leonardo da Vinci, the Chinese had invented the parachute and used it extremely successfully in real life. What is the evidence? We can find the earliest literary records in the famous book "Historical Records" written by China's greatest historian Sima Qian, which was completed in 90 BC. The fact that he saw the parachute as an ancient artifact from long ago proves that the origin of the parachute dates back to at least the 2nd century BC.
An example of the Chinese using parachutes in the Middle Ages describes something witnessed in Guangzhou in 1192. At that time, many Arabs gathered, and they had personally seen the Chinese use parachutes. Frenchman Simon also said in his book "Historic Relations" that he had personally seen the Chinese performing acrobatics using parachutes. China is indeed the country that invented the parachute, and using an umbrella as a parachute is its ancient tradition! In 1783, the Westerner Leonormand jumped from the top of a tree or a roof many times with great success. He called it a parachute; this was more than 1,900 years later than the Chinese invented the parachute.
29. Fireworks: In the 2nd century BC, the Chinese invented fireworks.
30. Miniature hot air balloon:
The Chinese invented the miniature hot air balloon in the second century BC. The earliest miniature hot air balloons were made from eggshells. The book "Huainan Wanbi Shu" written during that period mentioned that eggshells could fly into the sky with the help of burning kindling.
The method is as follows: use an egg, remove the yolk and egg white, and then ignite the fire starter mugwort placed in the hole. The eggshell can lift off and fly away on its own.
Hot air balloons are also made of paper. A foreigner named Peter Goulart who lived in Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China in 1939 once wrote a book saying that he had witnessed the Chinese people releasing hot air balloons made of paper.
31. Ink:
The Chinese invented ink in the second century BC. At this time the Egyptians also made ink. The ancient Chinese and Egyptians mixed the fumes from oil lamps with water and gelatin to make ink, which was the earliest ink in the world. In 1834, Stephens of England began to produce writing ink in England, and it was not until 15 years later that it was mass-produced.
32. Crank handle: The Chinese invented the crank handle in the 2nd century BC; the West only used the crank handle in the 9th century AD.
33. Rotary winnowing fan:
In the 2nd century BC, the Chinese invented the rotary winnowing fan. It was not until the beginning of the 18th century that winnowing fans appeared in the West.
34. Balance ring:
In 140 BC, the Chinese Fang Feng invented the balance ring. In 189 AD, the Chinese Ding Huan improved the balance ring and later spread it to Europe. . By the 9th century AD, the famous scientist Robert. Hawke and others applied the principle of this device to create a universal joint. It was this invention that made automatic energy transfer in cars possible.
35. Sealed laboratory: In the 1st century BC, the Chinese invented and built a sealed laboratory.
36. Transmission belt: In the 15th century BC, the Chinese invented the transmission belt. Europeans started using transmission belts in 1430, more than 1,400 years later than China.
37. Sliding surveyor: The Chinese invented the sliding surveyor in 5 AD. The West did not use sliding surveyors until 1638.
38. Hydraulic bellows:
In 31 AD, the Chinese invented the hydraulic bellows. "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" records that Du Shi, the prefect of Nanyang, invented a water-powered bellows (air blower and water row) that was used to cast iron farm tools. He also commented insightfully: It "uses less force but accomplishes more, and the people can do it easily.". Later, the inventor Du Yu made a lot of improvements to this bellows, and the fengshui pump was passed down from generation to generation and spread more and more widely throughout China. Europe did not begin to use blast water rows until the 13th century AD.
39. Keel waterwheel:
In 80 AD, the Chinese invented the keel waterwheel; and the first square-leaf keel waterwheel in Europe was made in the 16th century. Made directly based on Chinese designs.
40. Stern rudder: In the 1st century AD, the stern rudder was invented; in the West, rudders did not appear on church carvings until 1180 AD.
41. Porcelain:
The Chinese invented porcelain in the 1st century AD. People in the Western Jin Dynasty used kaolin, feldspar and quartz as raw materials to make white and fine eating utensils. Porcelain did not appear in the West until the 18th century.
42. Seismometer:
In 132 AD, Chinese Zhang Heng invented the earthquake detector-the seismograph. Zhang Heng was an astronomer during the Eastern Han Dynasty. He wrote many books, one of which was "The Armillary Sphere". He once imagined that the earth was a ball in infinite space with nine continents. In China, he was the first to introduce the geographical intersection network of longitude and latitude lines. At this time, Zhang Heng also invented the armillary sphere. The armillary sphere shows the relative positions of the major planets in the universe, and the seismograph is very sophisticated in predicting areas where earthquakes will occur. The foreigner de la Hautefouye designed the first modern seismograph in 1703.
43. Quantitative cartography:
Zhang Heng, a famous inventor in ancient China, invented the quantitative cartography method in the 2nd century AD, which took the science of cartography a big step forward. Zhang Heng was the first to apply the rectangular grid coordinate method to maps, so that a more scientific method can be used to calculate and study methods, distances and journeys. The basic principles for the accurate use of map coordinates are clearly contained in his book "Network Theory".
Zhang Heng's rectangular network coordinates were successfully used to reduce the size of maps, in a manner similar to photographic miniature technology. It was not until the 15th century that maps of considerable value appeared in the West.
44. Spinning wheel: The Chinese invented the spinning wheel in 121 AD; but the West did not use the spinning wheel until 1280 AD, which was more than 1,100 years later than China.
45. Horse stirrups: In the 3rd century AD, the Chinese invented the horse stirrups. The West did not produce stirrups until the 5th century AD, two hundred years later than China.
46. Helicopter horizontal rotors and propellers:
In the 4th century AD, Chinese Ge Hong already talked about helicopter rotors. At that time, there was a children's toy in China, the bamboo dragonfly, which was like a helicopter rotor. It has a shaft with a line wound around it. Several blades are mounted on the shaft. At a set angle, when the line is pulled, the rotor will fly up into the air. This toy had a great influence on European aviation pioneers.
47. Paddlewheel:
The Chinese invented the paddlewheel in 418 AD, which has been recorded in a report on Chinese naval operations. This operation was commanded by Wang Zhene, a naval general of Liu Song Dynasty. From 494 to 497 AD, Zu Chongzhi built an improved ship, known as the "Thousand Mile Ship". It did not use wind and could travel very far in a day. It represents an early design of a paddle wheel ship. Xu Shipu, a naval general of the Liang Dynasty, used a "water wheel" (i.e. paddle wheel) when fighting Hou Man in 552 AD. Another general, Huang Fazhu, built and used a "bujian" (a foot-operated paddle wheeler) during the siege of Liyang in 573 AD. From 782 to 785 AD, Li Gao, the prefect of Hangzhou, improved the paddle steamer. In 1168, the navy general Shi Zhengzhi built a warship with a displacement of 200 tons, driven by a paddle wheel composed of 12-year-old blades. Cheng Changyu built a 100-meter-long ship that could carry seven to eight hundred people. In the 12th century AD, China had built large ships that could be 120 meters long, 1.37 meters wide and more than 24 meters tall with masts, and could have up to 200 workers on board. During the First Opium War, China also used this type of paddle wheeler in the fight against the British.
The British thought that the Chinese saw the British navy's paddle wheelers and quickly imitated them. Little did they know that the Chinese had been using such ships for 1,600 years by then.
48. Mimeograph technology:
The Chinese invented mimeograph technology in 500 AD, and China and Japan have been able to use this technology to print books. In 1881, the Hungarian Stettner invented the stylus-paper-cylinder mimeograph technology; in 1888, he invented the typewriter; in 1899, the Austrian Klabo invented the rotary copier, which was not replaced by photocopying technology until 1950.
49. Pointer dial device:
Chinese Zhao Da invented the pointer dial device in 570 AD. The structure of the Chinese pointer dial device is surprisingly sophisticated. Some of the dial devices are composed of as many as 40 concentric circles. Each different concentric circle is marked with a different set of numbers to measure various conditions, and the numbers can be read out on request. In short, the Chinese created the world's first pointer dial device, which is still extremely important to modern science.
50. Matches:
The world’s first match was invented by the Chinese in 577 AD. This match was invented by a group of poor court ladies in the Northern Qi Dynasty. The first matches were made of sulfur, which was recorded by Tao Gu in the book "Qing Yi Lu" in 950 AD. Until 1530 AD, there were no matches in Europe. (End)