Informative Speech: Four Most Valuable Ancient Chinese Inventions - Essay Example

You will be surprised to know that ancient China has given some of the most magnificent gifts to the world.

Given this opportunity, I would like to speak on four Chinese inventions that changed the entire world significantly. Every one of us knows about the importance of paper in our daily life. It would be most proper to say that world's entire wisdom is stored in this most useful material called paper. Papermaking was invented a way back, during 105 AD in ancient China and Tsai Lun was the person who developed this wonderful material. Along the journey of mankind thereafter, paper became a handy tool for scholars and writers to record their knowledge so that future generations could take advantage of it.

All ancient manuscripts of those days were written and preserved on pieces of paper. It was obvious that a single copy of the manuscript could not spread the knowledge far and wide. Knowing this fully, the Chinese invented the ways and means of printing. To preserve knowledge, paper came to be known as the most basic necessity; however, printing too occupied equally an important place without which perhaps, the spread of knowledge across the world was just not possible. Block printing was developed during Tang Dynasty.

To prove the point, a Buddhist book called The Diamond Sutra is still stored in the British Library that was block printed during 868 AD of the Tang Dynasty. When the sea becomes stormy and the days are cloudy, the sailor of the ship wants to sail in the right direction, and then do you know what is that he needs most urgently? You are right – it is the compass that comes to the rescue of sea sailors then. This compass is a Chinese invention and the different Chinese craftsmen were involved in making these devices during the Three Kingdom and Southern Song Dynasties.

Worlds most refreshing ancient drink is tea and do you know where it was invented? The Chinese Emperor Shan Nong in 2737 BC just accidentally discovered that tea consumption provides relaxation to the mind; the drink infuses vigor and energy though at that time its use was limited to medicinal purposes rather than as a routine drink. It was only during the Song Dynasty that it got prominence as a national drink of China. Thus, it can be said that the most revolutionary inventions such as paper, printing, compass, and tea were given to us by the ancient Chinese people that later occupied the most prominent roles in everyone’s life. I thank you all for listening to me patiently.