Four Great Inventions
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The Four Great Inventions are inventions from imperial China that are celebrated in Chinese culture for their historical significance and as symbols of ancient China's advanced science and technology.
Hemp wrapping paper, China, circa 100 BC
Diagram of a Ming dynasty mariner's compass
Hand cannon from the Yuan dynasty, circa 1300s (decade)
The intricate frontispiece of the Diamond Sutra from Tang dynasty China, 868 (British Museum)
History of gunpowder
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Gunpowder is the first explosive to have been created in the world. Popularly listed as one of the "Four Great Inventions" of China, it was invented during the late Tang dynasty while the earliest rec
Four Great Inventions
…celebrated in Chinese culture for their historical significance and as symbols of ancient China's advanced science and technology. They are the compass, gunpowder, papermaking and printing. These four inventions had a profound impact on the development of civilization throughout the world. However, some modern…
Earliest known written formula for gunpowder, from the Wujing Zongyao of 1044 AD.
A fire arrow using a bag of gunpowder as incendiary. As depicted in the Huolongjing (c. 1390).
Depiction of fire arrows known as "divine engine arrows" (shen ji jian 神機箭) from the Wubei Zhi (1621).
The 'divine flying fire crow' (shen huo fei ya), an aerodynamic winged rocket bomb from the Huolongjing