China currently is the largest nation in the world.  For such a large place you would thing they contributed a lot to this world.  They did and much of it we still use today.

One Chinese invention was the movable type.  You may think it was invented by Johan Gutenberg but it was not.  The Chinese had a typing system that used wooden blocks and a press.  All of this nearly 700 years before it was invented in Europe.

Another Chinese invention was the use of paper money.  Since China didn’t have access to metal like Europe.  Also most of China was under one ruler so it was easier to trade across different regions.

Another Chinese invention was gunpowder.  It was found originally when Chinese alchemists were searching for an elixir of eternal life.  They found that if you mixed saltpeter, sulphur, and charcoal.  It was probably first used for fireworks or rough bombs. 

A Chinese accomplishment was controlling the most land by one independent country.  In the 1200’s Kublai Kahn from Mongolia conquered all of China becoming the first non-native emperor.  His predecessors eventually conquered all of central and western Asia making it the largest empire ever.  It vastness however caused it to fall very shortly.

A unique system of Chinese government was the dynasty system.  This was basically when the rulers would always be from the same family.  There was a Chinese code called the Mandate of Heaven that stated that emperors had the divine right to rule and the heavens would take a ruler out if he wasn’t worthy.  Another interesting fact is that anyone who wanted to become a government official had to take a certain test.  These people would study their entire lives just to take this day long test.  

As you can see China has played a big part in our society today.  Even now they still are one of the leading nations in the world.  In fact China was more advanced than Europe was until the discovery of the Americas.