ANCIENT CHINESE CONTRIBUTIONS TO MODERN SOCIETY OF THE 21ST CENTURY Ancient Chinese civilizations played an important role in the development of culture and technology that developed and advanced over the centuries. . Ancient China strongly influenced modern society in various ways. In my opinion, the most important attribute of ancient Chinese civilizations is writing. They are also the creators of many other advancements commonly used in our society, such as the compass, medicinal plants, and paper. Without ancient Chinese culture, the development of technology, commerce, medicine and art would not be as advanced and prosperous as it is today. Ancient Chinese civilizations helped shape our knowledge and daily lives. Ancient China is believed to have begun between the beginning of the second millennium BC and 221 BC. The Xia dynasty is considered the first of all Chinese dynasties. There is no known recorded information about these individuals. The next dynasty was known as the Shang dynasty. The Shang are believed to have ruled from 1600 BC to 1046 BC. They were the first of many subsequent Chinese dynasties to write and record history. The Shang Dynasty is known for contributing to some of the most commonly used technological advancements today. The Shang dynasty, the first of the Chinese dynasties to record history, is known for inventing writing. Shang dynasty records were initially recorded on strips of bamboo and silk that were decomposed. The oracle bones and bronze inscriptions contain the only written history of the Shang era. The Shang bronze inscriptions were very short and didn't say much, most of what is known about the Shang dynasty...... middle of paper ...... Chinese civilizations played a leading role in the development of culture and technological advances. They provided a springboard for commerce, medical research like herbal medicine, paper and compass use, and many other things. In my opinion, modern writing is the most important and heavily influenced. Without ancient Chinese culture and inventions, the development of our major needs in life, technology, commerce, medicine and art would not be as advanced as it is today. Ancient Chinese civilizations have helped us immensely as a society. Without their trials, errors and different knowledge, we would not be as successful, knowledgeable and progressed as we are today. We would not move forward and change as quickly as we are. The contributions of ancient Chinese civilization have helped us as a modern society.