GROUP 3: CHINA
D, Han
CHINA: The Land of the Sleeping Dragon
- China is a country in East Asia bordering the
East China Sea, Korea Bay, and the South
China Sea. Neighboring countries include
14 sovereign states. The terrain is diverse in
China with mostly mountains along with
deserts in the west and plains in the east.
Principal rivers flow west to east including the
Yangtze and Huang He rivers. The
government system is a communist state; the
chief of state is the president, and the head of
government is the premier.
- Civilization in China began more than 3000
years ago. The Chinese called their civilization
‘the Middle Kingdom’, believing it to be the
centre of the world. For much of its long
history, China led the world in literature, the
arts and sciences, technology and philosophy.
- Most of Chinese history can be divided up into
a series of dynasties from the start of the Xia
dynasty in 2205 BCE to the end of the Qing
dynasty in 1912 CE.
- Ancient China was a land of invention. For
centuries, China was way ahead of most other
countries in science and technology,
astronomy, and math. The Chinese invented
paper, the magnetic compass, printing,
porcelain, silk, and gunpowder, among other
things.
TIMELINE
 BCE
1. Xia Dynasty (2205 to 1575)
2. Shang Dynasty (1570 to 1045)
3. Zhou Dynasty (1045 to 256)
4. Qin Dynasty (221 to 206)
5. Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE)
 CE
6. Six Dynasties (222 to 581)
7. Sui Dynasty (589 to 618)
8. Tang Dynasty (618 to 907)
9. Five Dynasties (907 to 960)
10. Song Dynasty (960 to 1279)
11. Yuan Dynasty (1279 to 1368)
12. Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644)
13. Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912)
 Republican Era
 Communist Era
FAMOUS INVENTIONS
 Acupuncture (2500 BC, Shang Dynasty )
- The discovery of acupuncture was credited to
the Chine Emperor Huangdi. It's a Traditional
Chinese Medicine that has been practiced in
China for at least 4,500 years. It is a treatment
for disease and pain in the body to maintain
health.
 Paper Making Technology (105 A.
Dynasty)
- The invention of paper greatly affects human
history. Paper already existed in China since
105 A.D, however, a eunuch named Cai Lun
(ca. 50 AD – 121) made significant innovation
and helped drive its widespread adoption. His
advanced paper-making technology then
spread to central Asia and the world through
the Silk Road.
 Seismograph (132 A.D, Han Dynasty)
- It was invented by Chang Heng. It was used to
measure the strength and direction of
earthquakes, and to predict when they would
occur. The seismograph was also used to
study the movement of the earth’s crust, and
to map the distribution of earthquakes around
the world.
 Compass (1000 A.D, Han Dynasty)
- The compass was first used for worship,
fortune-telling and geomancy - the art of
aligning buildings. In the late 11th or early 12th
century, Chinese sailors adopted the compass
for astronomical and terrestrial navigation,
heralding a new era in the history of
navigation.
 Gun Powder (850 A.D - 1000 A.D, Tang
Dynasty)
- Gunpowder was invented by Chinese Taoist
alchemists about 1000 A.D. when they tried to
find a potion to gain human immortality by
mixing elemental sulfur, charcoal, and
saltpeter. The interesting fact is that Chinese
used this discovery mainly for firecrackers
while Europeans created cannons and guns
and dominated China in the mid-1800.
 Rocket (228 A.D, Song Dynasty)
- China is hometown of rockets, ancient
Chinese inventors created rockets by applying
counter-force produced by ignited gunpowder.
The Song Dynasty (960-1279) had adapted
gunpowder to make rockets. A paper tube
stuffed with gunpowder was attached to an
arrow which can be launched by a bow. This
kind of ancient rockets and improved ones
were widely used in military and entertainment
activities in China.
 Moveable Type Printing (960 -1279 A.D, Song
Dynasty)
- It was created by Bi Sheng a chinese artisan,
engineer and the inventor of the world's first
Movable Printing. Its main purpose was to
create a mass production of books. In the 12th
century it reached China's western region . It
also reached Europe in the 13th- 19th century
and spread throughout the rest of the world.