Papermaking

Even before there was paper, the Ancient China already has its way of writing down its characters by way of carving on pottery, stones and animal bones, on bamboo or wooden strips and silk. Proper paper was first discovered in Gansu Province. It was a proof that from the time of the Western Han Dynasty, the Chinese already used paper. But it was Cai Lun who invented a more developed art of papermaking using plant fibers as raw materials. The first batch made, which was supervised by Cai Lun himself, was presented to the Han Emperor in 105 AD, which so delighted the Emperor that he named the material as ¡°Marqui Cai¡¯s paper¡±

Commercial Printing

It was Bi Sheng who first introduced movable type printing in the 1040¡¯s, which was considered as the major force in the history of commercial printing. Bi Sheng used squares of clay where he curved individual Chinese characters. Later on, other types of printing such as wood, copper and lead evolved from this clay type movable printing.

However, this significant invention did not make a great impact compared to the way Gutenberg¡¯s moveable type revolutionized the Western world. It was due to the fact that the individual characters used were so many, while the English language only needs 26 characters. It was much easier to manipulate the latter on a printing press than the 3000-5000 Chinese characters. Nevertheless, commercial printing in Ancient China changed the way people reproduced their printed materials.

Gunpowder

The other two great inventions were gunpowder and the compass. The Chinese demonstrated their invention of gunpowder in the 18th century AD when it was used by the army of the Song Dynasty. By combining sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate, the Chinese found a way to develop new weapons, including rockets launched from bamboo tubes.

Compass

On the other hand, the compass was widely used in Ancient China for navigational purposes. The Chinese found out that natural magnets are abundant, and that by making magnets, they were able to align the pieces in a North/South position. The magnets were then placed in a bowl of water with directional bearings.

Paper money 

Paper money may have been in use in China as early as the 10th century during the Sung Dynasty. Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan issued paper notes on a large scale, and in 1260 his Yuan government made paper money the only legal currency throughout the empire, replacing cumbersome coins and greatly assisting trade, commerce and the tax collector. European bank notes didn't appear until 1661. 

Padded Horse Collar

China was the first nation to fully exploit "horse power." A rigid padded collar that allowed horses to pull carriages and other heavy loads without being choked by the harness or yoke appeared in China around the middle of 1st millennium. Earlier harnesses pressed on an animal's windpipe, preventing it from pulling a heavy load comfortably.

Crossbows

Crossbows appeared in China as early as the 5th century B.C. and had become major factors in Chinese warfare 300 years later. Together with sturdy leather saddles and metal stirrups, the crossbow made soldiers on horseback a more lethal force than ever before, giving them a steady, accurate aim at their enemies. Chinese artisans continued to refine the crossbow for hundreds of years, producing a rapid-fire version in the 16th century that carried 10 bolts in a self-contained magazine.