nationwide, in addition to 2,000 related material producers and 2,100 sales companies. In 2007, the total output value of the industry hit 10 billion yuan ($1.46 billion). China is the world's largest fireworks producer and exporter, selling 50 percent of its products to more than 100 countries and regions worldwide, with the trading volume accounting for about 90 percent of the world's total.

The invention of gunpowder also contributed to the development of rocket as its propellant. At the end of the 14th century, a Chinese named Wan Hu fitted a chair with 47 prototype self-made rockets and held a large kite in his hands. His plan was to fly into space and then float back down to the Earth using the kite. Unfortunately, the rockets exploded and killed the intrepid rocket man. In the 1970s, the International Astronomical Union named a lunar crater after Wan to commemorate the first person who attempted to fly using rockets.

Today, the Chinese aerospace industry has made great achievements. China's 12 types of Long March launching rockets have sent more than 70 Chinese-made spaceships into preset orbits and successfully launched 28 foreign-made satellites.

Compass

The earliest compass was invented in China in the fifth century B.C. It resembled a ladle with a round bottom, it was made of a natural magnet and could be placed on a smooth plate, kept balanced and rotated independently. When it remained stationary, its handle pointed to the south.

In the 10th century, people mastered the technology by artificially transmitting magnetic force. Later, they rubbed a steel needle on a natural magnet so that the needle absorbed the magnetic force. Steel needles of this nature are similar to those still used in modern compasses.

The compass was also used at the time for navigation and setting directions by the military. In about the 10th century, Arabians learned to use the compass to navigate after coming into contact with Chinese commercial ships. In the 12th century, the compass was taken to Europe by Arabians. Use of the compass in navigation led to the two great voyages by Columbus and Magellan.

In recent years, navigation technologies have been rapidly developed in China. According to figures released by the China Technical Application Association for Global Positioning System, in 2007, more than 400,000 sets of car-carried positioning equipment were sold in China. Many cell phones are equipped with a satellite positioning system, and the service of cell phone positioning now covers most of China. Marked progress has been made in terms of electronic navigation maps, application software and related information services. The market value of the navigation industry will surpass 20 billion yuan ($2.92 billion) in 2008 and may grow at an annual rate of 200-300 percent in the coming years.

Today, China uses the ultra-sophisticated Compass Navigation Satellite System (Beidou). In October and December 2000, two Beidou navigation test satellites were successfully launched. The Beidou system can navigate missiles, aircraft, ships and satellites. At present, it has been applied in many fields, such as transportation, marine safety administration, coalmine safety monitoring, hydrologic forecasting and survey and weather forecasting. In 2007, the Beidou system, together with the global positioning system of the United States, Glonass of Russia and the Galileo Positioning System of the European Union, was confirmed by the United Nations as one of the core suppliers of global satellite navigation systems.

Papermaking

Ancient papermaking technology is probably the one with the longest continuity among the four great inventions, because it is still used in China