这是本全英文读本。主要介绍了中国古代的科技创造发明。其中，为使读者能更加直观地了解这些创造发明，书中还附加了一些图片。本书主要供那些对中国文化感兴趣的外国朋友阅读。

China as an important source of human civilization had given birth to brilliant ancient science and technology and led the world in most of the history of world civilization, and till the mid-19th century its economy was the largest in the world. The development of science and technology in ancient China was based on the observation and study of the human body, the objective world, the heavens, and the earth, which led to the concept of "Integration of nature and man," The achievements nourished Chinese culture and civilization, and contributed greatly to mankind. Ancient Chinese inventions and discoveries are rich and numerous.

Foreword: Hotbed of Invention

The Four Major Inventions

 Are the Four Major Inventions the Most Important?

 Compass

 Gunpowder

 Paper

 Printing

Other Major Inventions (I)

 Iron and Steel Smelting and Ironware

 Copper Smelting and Bronze Ware

 Extraction and Application of Petroleum

 Discovery and Mining of Coal

 Pottery and Porcelain

 Wine and Liquor

 Sericulture

 Tea and Tea Culture

Other Major Inventions (II)

 Star Catalogue and Star Atlas

 Observation of Solar and Lunar Eclipses

 Surveying of the Meridian

 Zhang Heng and His Seismograph

 Guo Shoujing and His Shoushi Calendar

 The Decimal and Binary Systems

 Zu Chongzhi and Pi

 Equal Temperament

Other Major Inventions (III)

 Traditional Chinese Medicine

 Acupuncture

 Anesthetic

 Variolation

 The Great Wall

 Grand Canal of China

 Dujiangyan Irrigation System

Miscellaneous Smart Inventions

 Kite

 Abacus

 Weiqi (Go)

 Hot-Air Balloon

 Parachute

 Archery

 Match

 Chinese Kung Fu

 Football

 Golf

Classical Works of Science

Appendix: Chronological Table of the Chinese Dynasties