c. 215 BCE★★★★★
Qin links walls into the Great Wall
Under Qin Shi Huang, general Meng Tian connects and extends northern walls as a defence against the Xiongnu.
WarTechnology· China
Timeline
9 events3rd century BCE
2nd century
- 105★★★★★
Cai Lun improves papermaking
The Han court official Cai Lun presents a papermaking process using bark, rags and fishing nets.
Technology· China - 132★★★★★
Zhang Heng builds his seismoscope
The polymath Zhang Heng builds the first known instrument for detecting earthquakes.
ScienceTechnology· China
7th century
- 605 – c. 610★★★★★
Sui builds the Grand Canal
Emperor Yang of Sui links and extends canals into the Grand Canal, joining the Yellow River and Yangtze basins.
TechnologyEconomy· China
9th century
- 868★★★★★
The Diamond Sutra is printed
A copy of the Diamond Sutra found at Dunhuang is the oldest surviving dated printed book in the world.
TechnologyReligionCulture· China
11th century
- c. 1040★★★★★
Bi Sheng invents movable type
The artisan Bi Sheng creates movable type from fired clay, the earliest known movable-type printing.
Technology· China - 1044★★★★★
Wujing Zongyao records gunpowder formulas
The military compendium Wujing Zongyao contains the earliest surviving written formulas for gunpowder.
TechnologyScienceWar· China - 1088★★★★★
Shen Kuo describes the magnetic compass
In his Dream Pool Essays, Shen Kuo describes the magnetic needle compass and magnetic declination.
ScienceTechnology· China
20th century
- October 16, 1964★★★★★
China's first nuclear test
China detonates its first atomic bomb at Lop Nur, becoming the world's fifth nuclear power.
TechnologyWar· China