How did the Chinese invent gunpowder?

While trying to discover an immortality potion, Chinese alchemists of the Tang Dynasty accidentally discovered saltpeter, the main ingredient in gunpowder. After further experiments, saltpetre was combined with charcoal and sulphur.

Did the Chinese Invent the Flamethrower?

One of the first flamethrowers, the 濵火器 (pēn huǒ qì) was invented in China around 919 AD. The use of flamethrowers in ancient Chinese military battles was a double-edged sword, as many forces were consumed by their own fire when fierce winds blew their way.

What did the Chinese use to heat things up?

The Chinese found that they could use coal to heat things up and make steel.

How did ancient Chinese matches work?

Early matches were made from sticks and pine wood. Chinese matches strike fire from the top. The top is made of sulfur to help light the fire. When hit, it ignites fire.

Are flamethrowers legal in war?

Long gone are the days when war was governed by an "anything goes" system. As weapons have become more advanced, so have the rules of warfare. While flamethrowers aren't completely banned, you can't use them to fry your enemies, according to Protocol III to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.

Are flamethrowers real?

A flamethrower is a ranged-firing device designed to project a controllable beam of fire. Aside from the military applications, flamethrowers have peacetime applications where controlled burning is needed, such as in sugar cane harvesting and other land management tasks.

Censers were often used for heat in ancient times, which were made of two parts: the bottom was a basin and the top was a hollow lid made with floral patterns. When coal was placed inside, censers were used as warmers and made in different sizes for hands and feet.

What is a kang in China?

The Chinese kang is an ancient integrated home system for cooking, sleeping, home heating and ventilation. It is still widely used today in nearly 85% of rural areas in northern China. There is a tendency for Chinese kang to be gradually replaced by bed and coal-fired radiators, household heaters, etc.

When did the first fire start in China?

In the sixth century AD, during the Chen Dynasty, a wise maid had a new idea about how to start fires. The story goes that the palace she lived in was under a long siege by the ruler of a neighboring state and his army.

What was the most dangerous weapon in ancient China?

Ancient Chinese fire arrows. The Chinese fire arrows were one of the most dangerous hand-held weapons of the ancient empires. They designed to light everything on fire by exploding on grass. they could also poke into enemy troops and blow them up, blinding everyone in blood. These were much feared by the enemy.

What did the ancient Chinese use to make steel?

The ancient Chinese had an advantage in that they discovered how to make steel as early as the second century BCE from cast iron. It is easier and faster to start a fire by striking flint against steel than by striking flint against pyrite.

What kind of fire was used in ancient times?

There are theories that impact fire (smashing rocks eg flint and pyrite) was used from the late Paleolithic period (which I tend to agree with as our ancestors became quite skilled at stonework), but no archaeological evidence proof of this before at least the Neolithic period. See the article here.