Inventions

Song China was full of new ideas and inventions. People were always trying to improve daily life.

One important invention was gunpowder. At first, it was used for fireworks, but later it was used in weapons like bombs and rockets. Another big invention was movable type printing, which made books faster and cheaper to produce. Because of this, more people learned how to read.

The magnetic compass helped sailors know which direction they were going. This made sea travel safer and helped traders sail farther. Song China also used water-powered machines in workshops to make cloth, paper, and metal tools. Some historians say Song China came close to becoming industrial, long before Europe.