The dawn redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, is a living fossil; it was known only from fossils until its rediscovery, making it a remarkable example of a "Lazarus taxon."

The stirrup, invented in China around the 3rd century CE, revolutionized warfare by allowing mounted warriors to fight securely.

China invented movable type printing with clay and porcelain characters around 1040 CE, nearly 400 years before Gutenberg.

Chinese alchemists accidentally invented gunpowder in the 9th century while searching for an elixir of immortality.