China’s Contributions to The World

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Paper and PrintingNearly 1,900 years ago, a man who

worked for the Emperor of China, invented paper. Paper was made from pulp, and the pulp was made from fish nets, rags and plants. Chinese people also invented printing. It was used to make books, magazines, money and newspapers.

Abacus

China invented the abacus to help people with math, because many years ago people did not have calculators. That is why they invented the abacus. The abacus helped kids know math better.

Umbrellas

Umbrellas, were invented in China about two thousand years ago. The first umbrellas were made of silk. In ancient times, the frames of the umbrellas were made of mulberry bark or bamboo. Red and yellow umbrellas were used by royal families, and blue umbrellas

were used by everybody else.

Compass

A compass is used to tell people which direction to go. The magnetic compass is an old Chinese invention. It was first made more than two thousand in China during the Qin dynasty. The first person recorded to have used the compass as a navigational aid was Zheng He(1371-1435), from the Yunnan province in China, who made seven oceans voyages between 1405 and 1433.

Porcelain

People in China have long been making beautiful pottery. One of the most famous kinds of Chinese pottery is called porcelain. For hundreds of years porcelain was a secret. No one outside of China could figure out how to make it! Porcelain looks like glass, and is used to make plates cups and ornaments.

Kung Fu

Kung Fu was invented in China by monks. They used Kung Fu to strengthen the body and for meditation. It is very hard to learn. You have to practice for many years to become good at it.

Acrobatics

Chinese acrobatics is one of the oldest performing arts in the world. People in China have been enjoying acrobatics for more than two thousand years. It is still one of the most popular art forms among the Chinese people. When children are six years old they learn acrobatics. If they are really good at it, they can travel all around China and even the world performing for audiences.

Dominoes

Dominoes were invented 1,000 years ago in China. Today, dominoes is just a game that everyone likes to play for fun. Back then people used dominoes to try to tell the future.

Peaches

Peaches were first discovered in China more than 3,000 years ago. Peaches are really important in Chinese culture. The peach tree is considered to be the tree of life, and peaches are symbols of immortality and unity. Peach blossoms are carried by Chinese brides on their wedding day.

Hacky Sack

Have you ever played Hacky Sack? For more than 2,000 years, kids in China have been playing this fun game with their feet. The rules are very easy. You have to keep a little ball in the air as long as you can.

Great Pandas

The Giant Panda is probably the most famous animal that comes from China. There are not many Giant Pandas left in China. Most of them now live in zoos around the world. That is because the Giant Panda is endangered. Many people are trying to save the Giant Pandas from becoming extinct.

Kites

Chinese people invented kites about 3,000 years ago. They made brightly colored kites shaped like butterflies and dragons. Kites are still very important in China. There are kite festivals held in cities and towns, and people go to see the beautiful kites.

Ice-Cream

The origins of ice cream can be traced back to 4,000 years ago. Back then people made ice cream from rice, milk , spices and even snow. Ice cream is now made with different ingredients. We still use milk, but we don’t use rice to make ice cream. Instead we use sugar and flavorings.

Fans

Fans were made in China about 5,000 years ago. Sometimes people decorated them with beautiful paintings. In China, people still make fans to hang on their walls as decorations.

Fireworks

Fireworks were invented in China about 2,000 years ago. Most people in China think that fireworks were discovered or invented by accident by a Chinese cook working in a kitchen. He mixed charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter together, and the mixture burned and exploded. In China, fireworks are used to celebrate the new year.

Pekingese

The Pekingese is one of the oldest breeds of dogs. It comes from the city of Peking, which is now known as Beijing. The emperor always kept the Pekingese as a pet.

Goldfish

Goldfish have been around for a long, long time. They came from China, but are now found all over the world. The Chinese began to raise goldfish as pets hundreds of years ago. Some goldfish can live to be 14 years or older.

Carpets

The Chinese invented the world’s first carpets about 2,500 year ago. Artists created beautiful hand-woven rugs that were hung on the wall as art.

Silk

Silk is a very smooth kind of fabric. It comes from the threads make by a silkworm. A silkworm looks like a white caterpillar. People in China have been making silk for more than 3,000 years. It is used to make clothes like scarves and shirts.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a very popular type of exercise in China. When you do tai chi it looks as if you are dancing in slow motion. Tai chi is good exercise for everybody. You don’t need any special equipment either. That is why it is so popular in China.

Wheelbarrow

The wheelbarrow was invented in China about 1,700 years ago by a man in the Chinese army. It only has one wheel. People today use it all over the world to move heavy loads like dirt and stones.

Tea

Tea comes from China. The emperor drank tea 5,000 years ago. People all over the world have been drinking tea ever since.