Ancient Chinese technology:  "The wheelbarrow above is reported to have been invented in south-western China in the first century BCE. The design was similar to rickshaws with the goal to carry heavy loads long distances. To the western eye the design of the Chinese wheelbarrow looks clumsy and appears to have no capacity for carrying substantial loads. In fact, the wheelbarrow designed for use by two people has a load bearing capacity of nearly two tonne.

The resourcefulness and creativity of the Chinese in utilising the wheelbarrow was limitless. There are even accounts of wheelbarrows affixed with sails and reaching speeds over land or ice of forty miles per hour.  A testament to the practicality and efficiency of the Chinese wheelbarrow design is its survival in a modern context, as it remains in use in China today.. "

Via: The Powerhouse Museum