It was accidentally discovered by Chinese alchemists in search of a mixture for human immortality. It was originally used as a medicine.
In the beginning, gunpowder was made from a mixture of potassium nitrate (saltpeter), charcoal and sulfur and was first described in the "Collection of the most important military equipment" compiled by Zeng Golyan in 1044. It is assumed that the discovery of gunpowder occurred somewhat earlier, since Zeng describes three different powder mixtures. The Chinese used gunpowder for signal flares, in fireworks and in primitive grenades.
2. Compass
9. Paper money
Since paper was invented by the Chinese anyway, so in addition to writing all kinds of decrees on it, Emperor Xianjun of the Tang Dynasty in 806 AD, created paper money. As the saying goes, "cheap and practical." Chinese paper currency became widespread a little later, during the Song dynasty, when the growing Chinese economy required large working capital. At that time, the Chinese currency was the copper yuan. There was an acute deficit of copper. The problem was easily solved by paper bills.
Paper replaced copper, silver and gold in mutual settlements, while paper money was used to pay taxes. However, the joy over this innovation did not last long. Unsupported money supply grew by leaps and bounds. The lost war with the Mongols in 1217 finally undermined the confidence of the Chinese in paper currency for several centuries.
10. Silk
Silk was the mediator in establishing peace between ancient China and other cultures. The demand for silk was so high that the fine fabric helped connect China with the outside world through trade. The fabric gave birth to the legendary Silk Road, a trade route that stretched from China to the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Methods for creating fabrics from silkworm spider webs existed around 4,700 years ago. A scroll containing articles on silk production was found in a tomb from the Lanju period, which lasted from 3330 to 2200 BC. The Chinese carefully guarded the origin of silk. Control over the secret technology was lost when monks from Europe got their hands on silkworm cocoons and took them to the West.
Talented Chinese masters never cease to amaze humanity to this day. Even in the field of surrealism, the "Chinese hand" is becoming more and more noticeable. Chinese painter and sculptor Cai Guo Xiang has shown the world several of his magnificent installations.
The history of China has more than a thousand years, during which time the Chinese civilization has managed to make a significant scientific and technological contribution to the global culture. There are four great Chinese inventions: the invention of paper, the creation of the mobile printing system, the discovery of gunpowder, and the invention of the compass. But what other wonderful inventions did ancient China give to the world? In this article, we will also talk about the lesser known inventions of China.
The invention of alcohol
The earliest producers of alcohol in Chinese legends are Yui Di and Du Kang of the Xia Dynasty (circa 2000 BC - 1600 BC). Research shows that regular beer with an alcohol content of 4% to 5% was widely consumed in ancient China and was even mentioned in oracle records as an offering for spirits during sacrifices in the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC - 1046 BC). BC.). Over time, the Chinese discovered that adding more boiled grains to the water during fermentation increased the alcohol content of the drink, so stronger alcoholic drinks began to appear. Around 1000 BC the Chinese created an alcoholic beverage that was stronger than 11%. The powerful influence on humans of this alcoholic beverage was mentioned in poetry throughout the Zhou Dynasty (1050 BC-256 BC). Meanwhile, no beer in the West reached 11% until the 12th century, when the first distilled alcohol was created in Italy.
The invention of the mechanical watch
Su Song's water clock
The mechanical watch is an invention that we still use today. According to research, the first prototype of a mechanical watch was invented by Yi Xing, a Buddhist monk and mathematician of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). At first, the watch was not entirely mechanical and was essentially semi-water. Water dripped steadily onto the wheel, which made a complete revolution every 24 hours. Later, the watch was modified, a system of bronze and iron hooks, pins, locks and rods was added to them. Hundreds of years later, Su Song, an astronomer and mechanic of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), created a more complex watch, making it the ancestor of modern clocks.
Su Song's water clock
The invention of tea production
According to Chinese legends, tea was first drunk by the Chinese emperor Shen Nong around 2737 BC. Then an unknown Chinese inventor created a tea grinder, a small device with a sharp wheel in the center of a ceramic or wooden pot that cut the leaves into thin strips. During the reigns of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, tea production developed rapidly and tea became a popular beverage throughout the country and the world. Cha Jing, written by Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty, is widely regarded as the world's first scientific paper on tea production.
The invention of silk clothing
Of course, silk itself does not need to be invented, silkworms produce it, but the Chinese invented a method of collecting silk and learned how to use it to create clothes and even paper thousands of years ago. The most ancient walk that has been discovered is found in Henan province and dates back to about 3650 BC. In ancient China, silk was not only a vital invention for life, but also a bridge connecting China with the outside world. The 2,000-year-old Silk Road continues to be an important path of cultural, commercial and technological exchange between East and West.
Smelting of iron and steel
Archaeologists managed to prove that iron made from molten cast iron was developed in ancient China at the beginning of the 5th century. BC. during the reign of the Zhou Dynasty (1050 BC - 256 BC). During the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1046 BC) to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (1050 BC-256 BC), China entered its heyday smelting steel. In the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD), private ironmaking enterprises were abolished and monopolized by the state. The first famous metallurgist in ancient China is Qiu Huaiwen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-557 AD), who invented the process of using wrought iron and cast iron to make steel.
The invention of porcelain
Porcelain is a very specific kind of ceramic made at extreme temperatures in a kiln. Porcelain, of course, originated in China. The name "china" itself means "porcelain" in English. At the beginning of the XVI century BC. During the Shang dynasty (1600 BC-1046 BC), ancient porcelain prototypes appeared in China. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the art of porcelain making was improved, and in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the art of making Chinese porcelain reached its peak and became popular and famous throughout the world. In 1708, the German physicist Zkhirnhausen invented European porcelain, thereby ending the Chinese porcelain monopoly.
Compass
The earliest Chinese compasses were probably not originally invented for navigation, but were used to harmonize the environment and buildings in accordance with the geometric principles of feng shui. The earliest Chinese reference record of a magnetic device used as a "direction finder" has been proven to be from a Song Dynasty book dated from 960 to 1279. The earliest record of the actual use of a magnetized needle for navigation is from Zhu Yu's Pingzhou Table Talks, written in 1102. The invention of the compass greatly improved the safety and efficiency of travel, especially by improving navigation in the oceans.
The invention of gunpowder
Gunpowder, known since the late 19th century as black powder, is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate. Because it burns quickly and generates large amounts of heat and gas, gunpowder is widely used as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic compound in fireworks. In ancient China, gunpowder weapons were notable enough and were used mainly in the form of bombs to disperse invasions at the border. It was the Europeans who were able to fully reveal the truly destructive power of gunpowder. In academic science, the prevailing consensus is that the composition of gunpowder was discovered in the 9th century by Chinese alchemists seeking the elixir of immortality. Wujing Zongyao, written by Zeng Gongliang and Ding Du of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), is the earliest treatise that records three formulas for making gunpowder.
Most of the things that exist in the modern world are perceived by us for granted. Fiber-optic cables transmit huge amounts of information, and global positioning systems allow you to find your location anywhere in the world. But little known are the facts that many of the achievements of modern mankind owe their origin to ancient China.
Passing through time, we often forget about the significance of those things that were invented before us. Surprisingly, back in the 19th century, among many prominent minds, the opinion prevailed that the pinnacle of technology had been reached, and humanity had invented everything it could. To some extent, these words made sense, because each new global invention used the foundation left by our distant ancestors. In this rating, we will present the achievements of the Chinese civilization, which are used up to the present day.
10 powder
Gunpowder is perhaps the most famous of the Chinese achievements. According to an ancient legend, it was created quite by accident at the moment when the ancient Chinese alchemists were trying to create the elixir of immortality. Ironically, attempts to find eternal life led to the creation of a substance that brings death. The first powder mixture was described in the book in 1044 AD. The first gunpowder was used by the Chinese to make flares and fireworks. Later, by adding various metals to the powder mixture, mankind has learned to create bright colored fireworks, which we see to this day. 
9 compass
How possible would great geographical discoveries and long-distance expeditions be without the invention of the compass? According to ancient records, the first compasses were invented by the Chinese in the fourth century BC, and their design was based on a magnet. The first compass models could only point to the south, later with the discovery of a magnetic iron ore called Lodstone, they were able to make a device that was magnetized both north and south. To this day, it is not known exactly who came up with the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating this mechanism, but it is known for sure that it is of Chinese origin. 
8.Paper
It is not established for certain who the idea of \u200b\u200bwriting down thoughts using paper belongs to, there are different points of view. Among the applicants, both the Sumerians and the Harappa and Kemites from Egypt are mentioned. Nevertheless, the first languages \u200b\u200bappeared about five thousand years ago, and the first basis for writing was a variety of materials, such as papyrus, clay, bamboo, stone. Naturally, they took a lot of effort to keep records. Everything changed after the discovery of the first prototype of modern paper by the Chinese Tsai Lun in 105 BC. For those years, the technology was rather difficult: the Chinese created a mixture of water and wood fibers, and then pressed it down with a special cloth. Thanks to the weaving of the fabric, the resulting substance seeped out - this is how the first paper appeared. Unfortunately, it is not known what exactly Tsai Lun wrote on the first sheet. 
7 pasta
Lovers of Italian cuisine, in particular pasta, for the most part do not even assume whose handiwork it was created. Meanwhile, in 2006, archaeologists exploring ancient settlements more than four thousand years old in the Chinese province of Qinghai came across a bowl of gooey noodles buried three and a half meters. Most experts tend to believe that this is the oldest pasta on earth. And it was made from grains of two different types, which were grown in China for more than seven thousand years, and to this day - the Chinese use them to make pasta. 
6 wheelbarrow
An invention as simple but necessary as a wheelbarrow also owes its origin to the Chinese. Yugo Liang, a general who lived during the Han Dynasty, created the first prototype of a one-wheel wheelbarrow for transporting heavy military supplies around the second century AD. The only drawback of the antique design was the lack of handles - they appeared later after the original invention was finalized. Wheelbarrows gave the Chinese a significant advantage over their rivals, not only when transporting goods, they were also used as barricades. It is surprising that the invention was kept secret for a long time, and a special code was used to designate it. 
5 seismograph
The creation of the first seismograph belongs to the hands of the Chinese. Of course, they did not have the opportunity to use the Richter scale to denote the strength of the crushing element, because it was invented only in 1935. But they had their own graduation system, and the device was extraordinarily beautiful. The first seismograph was a bronze vessel on which dragons were depicted at an equal distance from each other. There was a stationary pendulum inside the vessel, but the pendulum was stationary until the jolts began to move it in such a way that many internal levers started its movement. Due to its complex design, the pendulum pointed in the direction of the earthquake epicenter. This seismograph was used for one and a half thousand years, until Western civilization created its own, more progressive device. 
4.Alcohol
Surprisingly, all modern lovers of relaxing with alcohol should also thank the Chinese - they were the ones who created ethanol and isopropyl alcohol. It was long believed that fermentation was a natural process, but in the third century AD, the Chinese learned to distill and ferment soy sauce and vinegar, which was the harbinger of alcohol. In addition, the latest works of archelogues indicate that in fact it was invented by her earlier, because the fragments of ceramics found in Henan, which are more than nine thousand years old, carry the remains of alcohol. 
3 the kite
The national pride of the Chinese is the kite. In the fourth century BC, it was discovered by two Chinese lovers of art and philosophy as entertainment, but very soon it was used in many other industries - both for fishing and for military affairs. It is also interesting that the kites were essentially the first unmanned aerial vehicles - in one of the conflicts the Chinese used it to deliver propaganda materials to the Mongol camp. 
2. Hang glider
In the sixth century AD, the Chinese were able to create such a large and durable snake that it could easily support the weight of a person. Over time, they began to be used to punish convicted criminals - they were tied to gliders, and forced to jump from high rocks. Sometimes there were cases when the convicts covered several kilometers and landed successfully. Surprisingly, with this invention, the Chinese were able to outstrip the representatives of Western civilization by 1300 years. 
1.Silk
Silk has become, in its meaning, an absolutely opposite invention from gunpowder - thanks to its extraordinary properties, it created a world between the Chinese and representatives of a dozen other civilizations. As a result, the creation of silk led to the emergence of the Great Silk Road, stretching from Europe to the East, from China to the Mediterranean. For a long time, the Chinese kept the process of creating the marvelous material a secret, but lost their monopoly when monks from Europe obtained silkworm eggs and were able to distribute them in the West. 
Incredible facts
We take many things in the modern world for granted.
Optical fiber wires deliver an enormous amount of information at the speed of light to anywhere in the world.
Over time, we increasingly ignore the contributions of those who lived before.
Even in the 19th century, Charles Duell, the United States Patent Commissioner, noted that everything that could be invented had already been invented.
It is clear that Duell was wrong, because the 20th and 21st centuries are a boom of invention and innovation. However, his words also indicate an understanding of what seems to have been lost. He understood that humanity has been making discoveries throughout its history. He also realized that these advances accelerated human progress so much that everyone who followed it seemed to be built on the foundation laid by the very first inventions.
Perhaps no other ancient culture has contributed as much to progress as the Chinese. Below are the 10 greatest inventions of this ancient people.
10. Gunpowder
Let's start with the most famous ancient Chinese invention. Legend has it that gunpowder was created by accident when ancient Chinese alchemists tried to create a mixture that would grant them immortality. Ironically, they managed to create something with which you can easily take a person's life.
The first gunpowder was made from a mixture of potassium nitrate (saltpeter), charcoal and sulfur, and it was first described in 1044 in a book describing the most important military techniques compiled by Zeng Goliang. The book says that gunpowder was discovered a little earlier, and Zeng described three different types of gunpowder that the Chinese used in flares and fireworks. Much later, gunpowder began to be used for military purposes.
Over time, we realized that by adding metals to the mixture, we get vibrant colors, thus modern colorful fireworks were born.
9. Compass
Where would we be without a compass? Surely they would get lost. Therefore, those of us who like to travel in the forest or often use airplanes to get around should thank the Chinese for always successfully getting to our destination.
The compass was originally created in order to determine the south direction. This was so, since they considered the south to be the most important direction. The very first compasses were created in the fourth century BC, and they were made from a magnet.
Moreover, the very discovery of the magnet was accidental. Lodstone is a type of magnetic iron ore that becomes highly magnetized when struck by lightning. The result is a mineral that is magnetized to both the north and south sides. The scientific community is still not sure exactly who came up with the idea that magnetic iron ore could be used to determine the direction, but archaeological evidence indicates that it was the Chinese who created the first "buckets" that recognized the cardinal directions.
8. Paper
It is still not entirely clear who was the first to come up with the idea of \u200b\u200btransferring thoughts to paper, converting them into written speech. To this day, there are fluctuations between the Sumerians in Mesopotamia, the Harapps who lived in the territory of modern Afghanistan and the Kemites in Egypt. However, it is known that the first languages \u200b\u200bappeared about 5000 years ago. You can even say that they appeared before, if we mean their artistic expression, such as rock paintings. As soon as languages \u200b\u200bbegan to develop, people began to write in everything that could persist for a relatively long period of time. Clay tablets, bamboo, papyrus, stone are just a small part of the surfaces on which ancient people wrote.
The situation changed dramatically after a Chinese named Cai Lun invented the prototype of modern paper. Before the creation of Lun, the Chinese wrote on thin strips of bamboo and silk, but in 105 BC. he created a mixture of wood fibers and water, which he then pressed with a cloth. The interweaving of the fabric allowed the resulting substance to seep through it, and as a result, the first paper was born. What exactly Tsai wrote on his first piece of paper is unknown.
7. Pasta?
Anyone who loves to feast on different types of pasta should take off their hats to the Chinese, since they are the first developers of pasta, they, and not Italians, as many believe.
However, some scientists still continue to argue about who exactly is the "parent" of this dish, which appeared several millennia ago. The dispute revolves around the granting of this honorary title to either the Chinese, or Italians, or Arabs. Yet the majority are on the side of the Chinese.
In 2006, archaeologists were able to excavate old settlements in Qinghai province near the Tibetan border (over 4000 years old). Among other things, they found a bowl of gooey noodles buried ten feet deep. The pasta found may be the oldest in the world. It is made from two types of millet that have been cultivated in China for over 7000 years. Moreover, the Chinese still use these grains to make pasta.
6. Wheelbarrow
The Chinese are also responsible for helping people around the world by creating a wheelbarrow. A general named Jugo Liang, who lived during the Han Dynasty, came up with the concept of a basket on one wheel to carry heavy objects in the second century. Liang's "basket" had only one drawback: it had no handles, they appeared later, when the invention was finalized.
Initially, the wheelbarrow was intended for military purposes. The advantages of the wheelbarrow gave the Chinese significant superiority over any enemy - they were used as barricades, as well as for transportation - and the Chinese kept the secret for many centuries.
There is also a version that the author of the invention is the farmer Ko Yu, who lived in the first century BC. Although the existence of this man is still in doubt, there is still a connection between Yugo and Ko: like the general, the farmer kept his invention secret by creating a special code to describe it.
5. Seismograph
Of course, the Chinese could not tell about the strength of earthquakes, how it can be done now using the Richter scale (it was created in 1935), but still they managed to invent the world's first earthquake detector - a seismograph. The imperial astronomer Chang Heng not only created the seismograph during the Han Dynasty in the early second century, he also made it incredibly beautiful.
Hang's creation was a bronze vessel with nine dragons depicted on it. The dragons were equidistant from each other, and under each dragon was a frog with an open mouth.
A pendulum hung motionless inside the vessel until an earthquake began to move it. Then many internal levers of the seismograph set it in motion. This provoked the movement of the ball into the dragon's mouth, which showed the direction of the epicenter of the earthquake. The ball later fell into the mouth of a frog under the dragon. This first seismograph seems a little awkward, however, it existed for about 1500 years until Western nations invented their versions of this device.
4. Alcohol
It is also worth to thank the Chinese for creating ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, the main constituents of alcoholic beverages. Moreover, few inventions of mankind give a person as much joy and sadness as alcohol does.
For many years, it was believed that alcoholic fermentation was the result of other, similar processes. By the early third century BC, the Chinese had figured out how to refine foods like vinegar and soy sauce using fermentation and distillation techniques. Alcohol soon appeared.
However, recent archaeological finds indicate that the Chinese came to the creation of alcohol even earlier. Traces of alcohol were found on shards of pottery discovered in Henan province, which are more than nine thousand years old. This discovery proves that it is the Chinese who are considered the "parents" of alcohol, and not the Arabs, as previously thought.
3. Kite
The "responsibility" for the creation of the kite - the pride of the Chinese people - lies with two Chinese men. In the fourth century BC. Gongshu Ban and Mo Di, lovers of art and philosophy, respectively, constructed a birdlike serpent that flew easily in the wind. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe pair was quickly captured.
Over time, the Chinese have perfected it and found new uses for it far beyond the entertainment industry. Kites began to be used in fishing without the need for a boat; they were also used for military purposes as unmanned aircraft that delivered gunpowder to create various kinds of fortifications. In 1232, the Chinese used kites to carry propaganda leaflets to a Mongol POW camp.
2. Hang glider
As mentioned, kites were invented in the fourth century BC. By the end of the sixth century AD, the Chinese had managed to build a kite so large and aerodynamically stable that it could support the weight of an average person. It was only a matter of time to remove the "reins" of the kite and see what could come of it.
The Chinese used these unguided kites, which we know today as hang gliders. However, these "kites" were not at all used by thrill-seekers: the emperors were happy to punish convicted criminals in this way, they forced them to jump off the rocks, being tied to gliders. Sometimes people flew several miles before they managed to land successfully. With this early creation, the Chinese were 1335 years ahead of European inventors.
1. Silk
The Mongols, Byzantines, Greeks and Romans suffered from the Chinese military innovation of gunpowder. However, with the help of silk, the ancient Chinese managed to establish peace between them and other cultures. The demand for silk was so overwhelming that the delicate fabric facilitated China's connection with the outside world through trade. Thus, the fabric led to the creation of the Great Silk Road, which eventually stretched from China to the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
For a long time, the Chinese managed to keep the creation of silk a secret, but they lost control over it when silkworm eggs fell into the hands of monks from Europe and spread them in the West.
The inventions of ancient China became the birthplace of the greatest achievements of civilization that we still use today.
Over thousands of years, China has produced a large stream of inventions, ranging from chopsticks - traditional cutlery and wheelbarrows for transportation, to sophisticated sensors and advanced financial concepts.
But there are four famous inventions in China, traditionally called the Four Inventions of Ancient China.
These are paper, gunpowder, compass and printing.
Paper
The fact that the invention of paper was in China is known from ancient historical records. It is interesting that the word "paper" in Western European languages \u200b\u200bis derived from "papyrus" and only in Russian it inherited the eastern pronunciation.
Around 2200 BC, the Egyptians in the lower Nile region discovered that papyrus could be formed for ease of writing on it. Papyrus for writing was cut into thin strips, which were soaked for a long time in water, and then tapped out while holding them in a sheet. But it wasn't really the product we know, it was difficult to write on and was expensive. The product was better compared to materials previously used for writing such as bone, wood or stone.
The invention of paper, as we know, came from China in the 2nd century BC. In fact, the early paper is very similar to the modern one in terms of concept and technology.
The inventor of the paper is traditionally considered to be a Chinese dignitary of the Han Dynasty, Chai Lun, who was the head of the royal workshop in the 2nd century in China. He used various materials to make paper.
However, recent archaeological evidence suggests that the original paper was in use in China two hundred years earlier. In any case, China was far ahead of the rest of the world.
How ancient paper was made
Lun tea made the product from various fibrous materials, including rope, old fishing nets, rags, bamboo fibers, tree bark, silkworm cocoons. Modern paper is still made from wood pulp. The Chinese used wood ash or lime, withstanding up to 35 days. Another important ingredient was birch leaves, from which the slime was used to strengthen the material and make it smooth and smooth. The softened fibrous material was processed to pulp that looked more like porridge, and birch leaf extract was added for weight. This "porridge" was then filtered through a sieve, a flat mesh was made of fabric retaining the fibers on the screen, the product was then dried. Paper is still made this way, mechanizing the entire process.
The invention of ancient paper by the Chinese dignitary Chai Lun was put into mass production in China. This series production was ideal for an inexpensive, relatively light product.
This is how the invention of paper happened in the world.
The ancient paper gradually spread from China, reaching Korea in the 3rd century AD. Introduced to Japan in 600 AD, and then moved to Vietnam and India at the beginning of the 6th century. It took 1000 years after the invention of paper in China to reach Europe. Manufacturing technology reached Britain around 1490 when the first known paper mill in England was built. The product reached the Americas in the 16th century when it became a truly global product.
During the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) reigns of China, many grades of paper were developed, including bamboo, hemp, and mulberry paper. Rice paper is still used today in Chinese painting and calligraphy because of its smoothness, durability, and whiteness.
The only significant difference between computer printer paper and Chinese rice paper is the "filler" to make the paper really smooth.
Printing
The second invention of ancient China that went hand in hand was the invention of printing. Reproduction technologies were passed on by word of mouth and there were very expensive handwritten manuscripts. Not only was it expensive, but it was slow and there is no guarantee that every copy will be the same. The seal form was developed over 2000 years ago in the Western Han Imperial Dynasty of China (206 BC-25 AD). It was a stone very similar to brass with a relief for the dissemination of Confucian knowledge and Buddhist sutras. Building on this idea, the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) developed the practice of carving text on a wooden board, which was then inked and then printed onto a page of a sheet of paper. This technique became known as the printing unit and was very similar to the printing concept. This technology produced the first ever book with a confirmed print date in 868. It was the Buddhist Sutra. This was the invention of printing until almost 600 years before the first printed book in Europe.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the technique spread throughout Asia to the Philippines, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. But while this was a big step forward, this block of printing technology had a serious flaw. One mistake can translate to all manufactured products because it was unique. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), a man named Bi Sheng invented the idea of \u200b\u200bcarving individual characters into small, identical square pieces of clay that were tempered in slow baking. Thus, the world's first printing flare was produced. After printing was completed, individual parts were replaced and used in the future. This new technology spread to Korea, Japan and Vietnam, and then later to Europe. The next major event in the invention of printing actually came from Europe, when Johannes Gutenberg made individual symbols out of metal.
And that was the invention of printing before the advent of the computer age.
Powder
Ancient China's inventions - the discovery of gunpowder. Everything from up to modern artillery shells owe this origin. The invention of gunpowder began with the search for the elixir of eternal life on behalf of the emperor of China. Alchemists have discovered that mixtures of certain fuels and ores can heat up in the right proportions and cause an explosion. The work of the alchemists led to the discovery of gunpowder.
In 1044, a researcher of the Song dynasty wrote "a collection of the most important discoveries of military technology," and in this text he wrote three formulas for gunpowder. Each was based on saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal. The modern British scientist Joseph Needham defined them as the early formulas for what we now know as the invention of gunpowder. The formula for gunpowder reached the Arab world in the 12th century and Europe in the 14th century.
Ancient scriptures state that gunpowder was first used for entertainment only with fireworks, but was soon used as a military potential. In fact, the earliest known illustrations of the cannon, dating from around 1127, were found in China during the change of rulers from the Northern Song Dynasty to the Southern Song Dynasty. Towards the end of the Song Dynasty, the Chinese had invented multi-stage rockets.
Thus, the invention of gunpowder can be seen as the idea of \u200b\u200ba rocket that laid the foundations for manned space flight. Scientist Joseph Needham also testifies that the idea of \u200b\u200ban explosion in a self-contained cylinder inspired the internal combustion engine over time.
The invention of gunpowder allowed the Chinese to gain military victories and drive the Mongols away from their borders for decades. But in the end, the Mongols were able to take over the technology of making gunpowder and include gunpowder in their supply. The captured Chinese experts began working in the Mongol army, and the Mongols began to expand their empire. 
Compass
The invention of the compass refers to the fourth of the great inventions of ancient China. Although the Chinese did not master the extraction of ore and the production of copper, they used a natural mineral. The natural mineral magnetite attracted iron. The magnetite arrow always pointed north. 
Thus, the inventions of ancient China are among the greatest achievements of mankind used in our time.