Five major steps in papermaking, outlined by Cai Lun in AD 105
Traditional Chinese
四大發明
Simplified Chinese
四大发明
Literal meaning
four great inventions
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin
sì dà fā míng
Wade–Giles
ssu4 ta4 fa1 ming2
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization
sei3 daai6 faat3 ming4
Jyutping
sei3 daai6 faat3 ming4
Part of a series on the
History of science and technology in China
List of discoveries
List of inventions
the Four Great Inventions
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The Four Great Inventions are inventions from ancient China that are celebrated in Chinese culture for their historical significance and as symbols of ancient China's advanced science and technology.[1] They are the compass,[2] gunpowder,[3] papermaking[4] and printing.[5]
China held the world's leading position in many fields in the study of nature from the 1st century BC to the 15th century AD, with the four great inventions having the greatest global significance.[6]
These four inventions had a profound impact on the development of civilization throughout the world. However, some modern Chinese scholars have opined that other Chinese inventions were perhaps more sophisticated and had a greater impact on Chinese civilization – the Four Great Inventions serve merely to highlight the technological interaction between East and West.[7]
^"The Four Great Inventions". China.org.cn. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
^"Four Great Inventions of Ancient China -- Compass". ChinaCulture.org. Archived from the original on 2007-04-09. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
^"Four Great Inventions of Ancient China -- Gunpowder". ChinaCulture.org. Archived from the original on 2007-08-28. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
^"Four Great Inventions of Ancient China -- Paper". ChinaCulture.org. Archived from the original on 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
^"Four Great Inventions of Ancient China -- Printing". ChinaCulture.org. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
^"Four Great Inventions of Ancient China". 2004-10-18.
^"Do We Need to Redefine the Top Four Inventions?". Beijing Review (35). 2008-08-26. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
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