1) Ice Cream– Yes, the Chinese invented the delicious dessert enjoyed the world over today. According to Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat , author of History of Food, “the Chinese may be credited with inventing a device to make sorbets and ice cream. They did it by mixing snow and saltpeter over containers filled with syrup. The inventor of the sweet treat is believed to be Emperor Tang, who lived from AD 618-697. Some say that Venetian explorer Marco Polo brought the recipe back to Europe with him after journeying to China in the 13th century; others say that’s just a very early urban legend.
2) The Fork– Believe it or not, the Chinese were using forks long before they invented chopsticks. Archaeologists discovered a bone fork dating all the way back to the Qijia Culture, which flourished during the Bronze Age more than 4,000 years ago. Forks were also used during the Shang (BC 1600- BC 1050) and subsequent dynasties.
3) Movable Type– Many Westerners believe that this world-changing invention was brought to us by Johannes Gutenberg, who is credited with inventing the printing press. But movable type predates Gutenberg by more than 350 years. Shen Kuo (1031-1095 AD) was the first to describe printing by movable type during the Song Dynasty; Shen correctly claimed that an obscure artisan named Bi Sheng invented this indispensable printing method. Bi sawed pieces of wood into small squares, labeling each one with a different Chinese character. These blocks were then arranged on an iron board. They were also reusable.
4) 365.2425-Day Calendar– Centuries before the Julian calendar, which set the year at precisely the same number of days, the ancient Chinese invented this highly accurate method of marking the year. Called the Sifen Calendar, this Han Dynasty innovation accounted for what we today call Leap Year. The year began on the new moon before the winter solstice, with an extra day added every four years to adjust for small differences.
These are but four of the many lesser-known ancient Chinese inventions, a list which includes the bristle toothbrush, fishing reel, dominoes and early versions of golf and soccer.
