What cold historical knowledge do you know that subverts people's traditional impression?

There was a lot of gold in the Han dynasty, and it was common for the emperor to give a few tens of kilograms to hundreds of kilograms when he was idle. However, with the introduction of Buddhism into China, there began to be an upsurge of painting gold for Buddha statues. Anyway, from top to bottom, all parts of the country, even the hinterland, should be used to paint the Buddha with gold. Over time, there will be less and less gold. If it is made of gold, it will not be wasted for a long time, but once it becomes gold paint, it will be completely wasted. ?