the four

TheFourGreatInventionsofAncientChina

Compass

TheinventionofthecompassistheresultofChinaancientworking

peopleknowtotheobjectmagnetisminthelongtermpractice.

IntheNorthernSongDynastythemariner'scompasswasinvented.

Itwasmadebyputtingamagneticneedlesonawoodendiskcalled

luopan.

Gunpowder

Thegunpowderismadeofniter(硝石),sulfurandcharcoalthreekindsof

materialsmixing.

IntheTangDynasty,thegunpowderbeginstobeappliedtothemilitary

affairs.

Peopleutilizethethrowingstonemachine,lightthegunpowderbagand

throwout,burntheemery,thisisthemostprimitivecannon.

Papermaking

IntheEasternHanDynasty,thepapermakingskillinventorCailunison

thebasisofthatforefathersweavesilkxperienceandmakeintothe

paperwithbark,brokenfishingnetwork,rag,enon,paper

becometothematerialthatgenerallywrite.

Printing

InSongDynasty,wordworkerBiSheng,utheclaywithviscidity,

makeintotherectanglecube,carvethesingleChinecharactersonit,

burnitwiththefire,ntingskillisnamedthe

typography.

Theimportantinfluenceofthefourgreatinventions

Compassmakehuman’scivilizationextendedtomarinefromland,especially

makingagreatcontributiontothefindingofnewa-land.

Gunpowdersincetheemergenceofgunpowderweaponryandapplication,the

developmentofChina’sancientweaponsfromtheColdWareraintotheuof

firearmsandcoldweaponra.

Papermakingmakeacontributiontoprervationandcontinuityofhuman’s

culture.

Printingacceleratethedevelopmentandcommunicationofhuman’sculture.

KarlMarxalsocommentedthat,"Gunpowder,thecompass,andthe

printingpresswerethethreegreatinventionswhichusheredinbourgeois

derblewuptheknightlyclass,thecompassdiscovered

theworldmarketandfoundedthecolonies,andtheprintingpresswasthe

instrumentofProtestantismandtheregenerationofscienceingeneral;

themostpowerfulleverforcreatingtheintellectual

prerequisites."_Marx/EngelsCollectedWorks(MECW)

Thefourgreatinventionsandintellectualproperty

Therearecomedisputationaboutwhetherthefourgreatinventions

oplethinkthattoday

thewholeworldutheyellowgunpowderbutancientChinepeople

inventedtheblackgunpowder,whichisnotthesamewithtoday’s

tion,themovabletypeprintingwasjustrecordedina

book,

thoughBishenreallyinventedit,ithasn’tbeencommercialized.

ThesupportofthegreatinventionsofancientChina.

JophNeedham,anexpectofscienceandtechnologyhistory,affirms

thatthefourgreatinventionsbelongtoChinaandpraiancientChina's

hhisadvocacy,thefourgreatinventionswasputinto

ourtextbook.

Inmyopinion,thothingsleadustothinkaboutthequestionof

oplequestiontherightofinventiontothe

weputthefourgreatinventionsinto

textbookafteraforeignmanputtingforwardinsteadofourChineman.

Wemuststudyourculturedeeplyanddomorerearchincathatour

fruitsarestolenbyothers.

RedefinetheTopFourInventions?

China’

exhibitionrecentlyheldattheChinaScienceandTechnologyMuumin

Beijingshowedthattheoldstalwartsofcompass,papermaking,printing

apermakingand

printingremainbutaremergedintoasingleone,compassandgunpowder

arereplacedbysilk,chinaandDomesticatedrice.