How is Chinese Technology Changing the World? Know China’s “4 Modern Inventions”

Chinese history is fascinating! The reason I became interested in learning Mandarin Chinese is due to first being interested in Chinese history and culture. When I first began studying ancient China I was blown away by how rich and surprising the 5,000-year history is. Some still don't know about China's history of inventions that would spread beyond China to change the world forever. Traditionally, there are four major ancient inventions that Chinese acknowledge:

• 造纸术 (zàozhǐ shù) = papermaking
• 火药 (huǒyào) = gunpowder
• 印刷术 (yìnshuā shù) = printing
• 指南针 (zhǐnánzhēn) = the compass

Of course, these aren't the only past Chinese inventions that spread to the west, but they are the most influential overall.

Today, China is experiencing an entirely new technological era. Modern China is a much different place from ancient China, obviously!

Recently, the Beijing Foreign Studies University Silk Road Research Institute asked foreign students in China which Chinese inventions and technologies they would like to see in their home countries. The students voted on four major "modern Chinese inventions":

• 高铁 (gāotiě) = high-speed rail;
• 支付宝 (zhīfùbǎo)= Alipay;
• 共享单车 (gòngxiǎng dānchē)= dockless shared bicycles;
• 网购 (wǎnggòu) = online shopping.

These four technologies may not have all been invented in China, but they have taken off here and spread faster in China than anywhere else on the planet!

1. 高铁 (gāotiě)= high-speed rail

China may not have invented high-speed rail, but China is making it faster, better and more far-reaching. China has 22,000 miles of the high-speed rail, which accounts for two-thirds of the world's total. High-speed rail is a safe and convenient alternative to flying. It's also a great way to see the Chinese countryside whiz by at an exciting speed. China today holds many new patents that are pushing high-speed rail into its next stage of development!

Example:

Wǒ jiāng chéng gāotiě qù lǚxíng.
我 将 乘 高铁 去 旅行。
I will take the high-speed railway for traveling.

2. 支付宝 (zhīfùbǎo) = Alipay

Alipay is a part of daily life for young Chinese. The online payment service was created in 2006. Over 400 million users are…Read More

Often in my Mandarin Chinese classes, I like to challenge the students to use their Mandarin Chinese in creative ways while problem solving. We engage in friendly debates and I give them tricky riddles or show them confusing images and problems that encourage students to speak up and form an opinion on tricky subjects and questions. Often, the students feel dumbfounded, or "at a loss" when they have to make up their mind and come to a decision.

For these times when we are uncertain, thrown off, or confused, we can use the Mandarin Chinese expression "抓瞎 (zhuāxiā)".

抓瞎 (zhuāxiā): find oneself at a loss; be thrown off balance; to be unprepared.
抓 (zhuā): v. scratch; clutch, seize.
瞎 (xiā): adj. blind.

How you can use "抓瞎 (zhuāxiā)" in a conversation to express confusion or unpreparedness:

Kǎo qián zuò hǎo zhǔnbèi, kǎoshì shí nǐ jiù bú huì zhuāxiā.
考 前 做 好 准备， 考试 时 你 就 不 会 抓瞎。
Be well prepared for examinations, and you will not find yourself at a loss.

Yí yù dào wèntí tā jiù zhuāxiā.
一 遇 到 问题 他 就 抓瞎。
He finds himself perplexed every time that he faces problems.

I remember one example of when my students found themselves "抓瞎 (zhuāxiā)" in class. We looked at the infamous "white/gold or blue/black" dress that became an Internet sensation due to how each pair of eyes seemed to...Read More

Quiz:

A. You don't study for final exams and go in unprepared, receiving low scores
B. You want to cook for your family, but don't know how to start when entering the kitchen
C. After hours of failed attempts, you finally solve the difficult math problem
D. You can't understand the plot of the confusing mystery novel
See Answer