The Great Wall of China Was Built with Rice
Chinese engineers used sticky rice as mortar to build parts of the Great Wall, creating a cement so strong that weeds still can't grow through it today.
About this fact
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Chinese engineers discovered that mixing sticky rice (glutinous rice) with slaked lime created an incredibly strong mortar. This 'rice mortar' was used in constructing major sections of the Great Wall, pagodas, and tombs. The secret ingredient was amylopectin, a component of sticky rice that made the mortar incredibly resistant to water and earthquakes. Modern scientists have confirmed that this ancient concrete is stronger than many modern building materials. The rice-lime mortar is so durable that sections of the Great Wall built with it remain virtually indestructible after 600+ years, while attempts to damage these walls with modern tools often fail.