China traditional methods

Shiitake (Lentinus edodes Sing.) is an edible mushroom highly prized in the Orient, especially Japan and China. Traditionally, Shiitake mushrooms were grown on segmented rotten wood which was placed in a cool, humid place. Several months are required before harvest. This ancient technique is still used in some countries. In Taiwan, an accelerated technique has been developed which employs treated and compressed sawdust as the growth medium. This method significantly reduces the time to harvest. 

A great deal of biomass was used as fuel for cooking and heat supply in China. The traditional method of utiUzation of biomass energy has not been able to suit the demand, along with the rapid development of the rural economy, continuous improvement of the peasants Uving quality, and the increasing attention to the environment. 

Energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence was used by Gaines and coworkers to determine the elemental composition of Chinese coins minted in the period of 1736-1796 and that of Annamese coins minted in the period 1880-1907. The consistency in conq>osition of the two groups of coins, although minted 100 years apart, is indicative of a continued relationship between Annam and China. While Japanese modernization in the 19 century included new methods of metal refining and casting of coins, Annam maintained the traditional methods of coin manufacture. 

Acupuncture is a method of healing developed in China at least 2000 years ago. Today, acupuncture encompasses a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation. 

Traditions of ancient writers attribute some discoveries in these lines to India or Persia, or other Asiatic countries, but as to whether any of these countries contributed in any important way to the development of Egyptian chemical knowledge, or whether at some time these countries learned their arts from Egypt, we cannot safely determine from such tradition. It is quite certain that both in China and in India the chemistry of the metals and alloys, methods of dyeing and the use of certain chemicals in medicine were practiced at ancient periods, but their chronology is diffi-... 

Cyclohexene oxide is an important intermediate used, for example, in synthesis of pesticides. A process for catalytic epoxidation of cyclohexene to cyclohexene oxide by reaction-controlled phase-transfer catalysis has been commercialized in China since 2003. It is an envirorunent-friendly process compared to the polluting traditional chlorohydrin method. 

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