Ancient Chinese Weapons in the Beijing Military Museum

[Intranetusa]

What is the armor at 1:06? It almost looks like chainmail - when and where was it used?

[privatepinkbits]

i was there bloody tours dont let you stay long i could've looked at those blades all day long

[ChineseMonstah]

what is the name of the sword at the top at 0:07 and at 1:36

[tom0227]

@ChineseMonstah  It's a Qing Dynasty sword, kind of chinese sabre for ridders.

[ChineseMonstah]

what is the name of the sword at the top at 0:07

[Miledha]

@RabbidMonkee ... perhaps. It's certainly at least part of the reason though. We're all likely to draw conclusions based on our individual and limited areas of research. It would be good to hear from others who have actually done research. Opinions based simply on what others have said won't help us find the truth. So ... researchers, please share your thoughts.

[RabbidMonkee]

@Miledha I'm no expert, but from television documentaries, I see that they say the Japanese highly ritualised the forging and possession of the sword. The Chinese also treated their swords well, like an extension of their body (again, from a documentary so I can't vouch for the accuracy of this statement). Burying a steel sword in soil for hundreds of years would not bode well for any sword, Japanese or Chinese.

[elesararwos]

@RabbidMonkee the Japanese have a long tradition of ritualizing almost anything (in fact they're the most stressed-out people in the world for a few reasons, not the least among them the highly ritualized inter-personal standards)

and almost all warriors treat weapons as extensions of their bodies; it's part of the training and mentality of swordsmanship to begin with

I'm no expert either, but I try to do my research and I have friends who practice with swords (I have yet to join them)

[YouLiamTube]

Looking at these swords makes me want to play Dynasty Warriors...

[Miledha]

The Japanese looked after their swords more carefully. Chinese swords were excellent quality. In fact, it was the Chinese who invented the processes by which Japanese swords were later made. The condition of Chinese swords had nothing to do with quality - only with care.

[TheEfefefefefefefefe]

@Miledha can you explain to me why there is a HUGE gap in between the ancient china and qing dynasty?

i mean where are the weapons and armors of sui, tang, liao, sung dynasties?

[RabbidMonkee]

@Miledha ??? is that not a massive generalisation? =p

[GZH1234]

@Miledha I'd like to point out that both nations looked after their swords carefully, but that most japanese antique blades you see today that are in good condition were made in the last 200 years, while Chinese ones ranged thousands of years

[kurok1tenshi]

@Miledha the main diference and why chinese swords look rusty is cause they were made on iron and katanas are made of steal,

[Miledha]

@kurok1tenshi Did you know the Japanese actually learnt their steel swordmaking from the Chinese? They went on to improve on it but the process was very much the same.

[TheEfefefefefefefefe]

whay are chinese swords all rusty? I went to japan and saw katanas from the same time periods and it looks good as new. some of them dates back to tang/song period of china too. does it mean that chinese swords lack quality even at song dynasty?

[kaiuycn]

@TheEfefefefefefefefe Because swords were sacred objects to the japanese, and many swords were made for a form of art, or as gifts to lords. Swords for the chinese were just tools, and many of these weapons were heavily used for war, not intended to be kept as an artwork, unlike the japanese who pass on their swords as heirlooms.

[TheEfefefefefefefefe]

@kaiuycn but still, ive been searching for medieval chinese weapons/ armor and found no trace.. i mean, u can still see crusader swords from the 3rd crusades (which is almost the same period as tang dynasty) in museums but there is no trace of sui/tang/yuan/song dynasty weapons and armor. only potteries from those time survived. more over, why is it that only weapons from qin, han and qing survive? why is there a HUGE GAP in between?

[TheXanian]

@TheEfefefefefefefefe

Look closely at 2:11, that's a Song Dynasty sabre.

[TheEfefefefefefefefe]

@TheXanian judging by the swords shown, yes its a sword with song dynasty zhan ma dao style but its definitely from the qing period. i mean anyone can claim the republican dadao is from sung but its actually made on the warlord era

[SHUTUPNOOB654]

@kaiuycn I'd like to say that isn't true. Many people back then thought that swords had spirits in China, and swordmakers were very respected. There were many swords for ''art'', and as for the rust the guy you responded to was talking about, I think that many of the antique japanese swords were used around the 17th century-19th century, unlike many of the Chinese ones in this video that were thousands of years old.

[TheXanian]

@TheEfefefefefefefefe

Ancient Chinese sword does not lack quality, they only lack care. Japanese keep their swords carefully, but for the Chinese, sword is just a normal weapon.

[DaRyuStar619]

thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­aaaanks!

[Miledha]

If anyone has access to the Beijing Military Museum, how about taking some of these qestions in with you and then coming back with answers.

[hsuboi]

What period were the ones on 1:20 from? Sui? Tang? Northern Song?

[loveryoda]

@hsuboi it is brozen swords. check out brozen age.

[DaRyuStar619]

from 2:21 to 2:29

sword name?

[Miledha]

@DaRyuStar619

Which particular sword do you mean? Are you asking for the type of sword? They do not have names as swords in the movies might. Most Chinese swords are varitaions of jian (double edged straight swords) and dao (single edged swords, often with a curve). If you would like a more specific anwer, please phrse your question more specifically.

[DaRyuStar619]

@Miledha

I intend the DAO ones,

i'll try to explain better...the ones on the top at the first photo

do you understand?

[loveryoda]

@DaRyuStar619 i am not an expert, but it looks like Tang Dao or Miao Dao to me. TD's orgin is from Tang dynasty. it is the earlist composite sword, also know as grand dad of Japanese Katana. its distinguishing feature on its tip(2:29). it has double edges tip, but it is a saber. after Tang dynasty, TD is extinct. chinese archiologist has difficulty to dig it out. however, i am certain the japanese royal collection has one.

[Seres1091]

@DaRyuStar619 Yanmaodao

[legendarybloodfang]

wtf :07 the chinese had guns?

[armstrongener]

@legendarybloodfang the Chinese invented guns  =.=

[12116657]

@legendarybloodfang dude u smoke too much weed on ur history class. fire powder is inventer at china . european take it and improve later on .

[PokerChingling]

@legendarybloodfang You're joking right...you think a European was smart enough to come up with Flintlocks and/or cannons? (I'm English, Irish, French Btw, so not racism)

[loveryoda]

@PokerChingling actually, flintlock and matchlock is inveted by european.

[PokerChingling]

@loveryoda My bad about the flintlocks, and I never said anything about the matchlocks...

[4132aqua]

i wanna sword like that!

[chengda85]

i've been to this museum :D

[Yvesyew]

thousands year old stuff o>O

[M3028]

Thanks for the post.  It's nice to see some real chinese swords.