Jeffrey Xue
AP World History
Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Inventions
*Page numbers are where you can read more about the time period and the inventions that occurred.
~Chapter 2, pg. 41……………China: The Shang and Zhou Periods (1750 B.C. – 221 C.E.)
INDUSTRY – The Neolithic Chinese population pioneered the production of silk cloth, a delicate process that included raising silkworms on the
leaves of mulberry trees, then carefully unraveling their cocoons to produce silk thread.
METALLURGY – Started to make bronze by 2000 B.C.
DIVINATION – Inscribe a question on a bone or shell, then proceed to apply a hot rod and interpret the resulting cracks.
~Chapter 5, pg. 164……………China: The Han Dynasty (202 B.C. – 220 C.E.)
ASTRONOMY – Belief in astrology motivated astronomical observation of planets, stars, and other celestial objects.
AGRICULTURE – Invention of the watermill occurred in China. It harnessed the power of running water to turn a wheel with paddles, which
rotated and turned a grindstone.
HORSE COLLAR – A new horse collar was invented that did not constrict the breathing of the horse allowed Chinese horse to pull heavier loads
than European horses.
PAPER – The most important invention of this time period was that of paper, the version that we use today. It replaced the awkward bamboo
strips of earlier eras, and was lighter and easier to manage.
MILITARY – New horse breeding techniques and a more reliable crossbow trigger.
~CHAPTER 10, pg. 292……………China: The Song Dynasty (960 C.E. – 1126 C.E.)
MATHEMATICS – The Song introduced fractions and used them to describe the phases of the moon.
ASTRONOMY – Astronomers constructed a very precise lunar calendar derived from the aforementioned observations of the moon. Notable
achievements include noting the Crab Nebula in 1504.
NAVIGATION – Using knowledge of celestial coordinates, Song inventors redesigned the compass, making it smaller, adding a pivot point for the
needle, and put on a protective glass cover. This new compass was suitable for seafaring. It was first used in 1090.
SHIPS – Chinese treasure ships, or junks, were the most seaworthy vessels of their time. A stern-mounted rudder improved the steering of the
large ship, and it had a watertight bulkhead that could keep it afloat in emergencies.
METALLURGY – Engineers became skilled at high-temperature metallurgy. Giant bellows were powered by water wheels, and superheated the
molten ore. Iron appeared in weapons, armor, and fortifications.
GUNPOWDER – Gunpowder was a mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal used as a propellant explosive. First used in battle against the
Jurchens in the 1100s.
PRINTING – Transition from woodblock to the new movable type made printing cheaper and easier. This spurred the mass production of books
before 1000.
~CHAPTER 10, pg. 299……………Korea: The Koryo Dynasty (918 C.E. – 1259 C.E.)
PRINTING – Koreans are credited with inventing woodblock printing. The earliest surviving woodblock print in Chinese characters comes from
Korea in the middle 700s. They also experimented with moveable type.
~CHAPTER 10, pg. 301……………Japan: The Fujiwara Clan (1185 C.E. – 1333 C.E.)
LITERATURE – The Japanese were very eloquent and spent much time refining their tasteful culture. They wrote books such as The Tale of Genji
(about 1000) and The Pillow Book (between 996 – 1021).
~CHAPTER 12, pg. 361……………China: The Yuan and Ming Empires (1368 C.E. – 1500 C.E.)
MILITARY – The Ming experienced a major technological slowdown. However, they still used gunpowder to invent scattershot motors and
explosive canisters.
ART – New weaving techniques appeared and peaked around 1500.
LITERATURE – Simple writing under the Yuan produced some of the earliest novels. Eloquence flourished under the Ming. ECONOMICS –
Produced porcelain, which quickly rose in demand. Other products include furniture, lacquered screens, and silk.
~CHAPTER 12, pg. 364...............Korea and Japan: The Yi Dynasty and Ashikaga Shogunate (1300 C.E. – 1500 C.E.)
MILITARY – After the decline of Chinese mining, Japan soared ahead in iron production, and manufactured extremely high quality swords and
armor.
PRINTING – The oldest woodblock printing texts were from Korea, and it may have been invented there. In the 1400s, Yi printers developed a
device to anchor the pieces of type to the printing plate, replacing the beeswax adhesive with copper frames.