rongsheng spear made in china

The spear (mao) was the primary hand weapon for jabbing in ancient China. Its use continued into the Qin era, which also witnessed the emergence of the pi, a broad-bodied spear with flat edges. The Qin army was equipped with both types of spear, though use of the pi was more widespread. Pit no. 1 of the First Emperor’s mausoleum yielded five mao versus sixteen pi, a ratio of one to three, indicating that the pi had relegated the mao to a secondary position on the battlefield.

Common features of the Chinese spear are the leaf-shaped blade and red horse-hair tassel lashed just below. The tassel shows elite troop status. It also serves a tactical purpose. When the spear is moving quickly, the addition of the tassel aids in blurring the vision of the opponent so that it is more difficult for them to grab the shaft of spear behind the head or tip. The tassel also served another purpose, to stop the flow of blood from the blade getting to the wooden shaft (the blood would make it slippery, or sticky when dried).

The length varied from around 2.5 meters long, increasing up to six meters. According to general Qi Jiguang, the Ming military categorized spears above 2.5 meters as short spears, 4 meters as long spears, and spears below 2.5 meters as spiked staffs, which were used more for hitting than stabbing. Spears used in war are typically made of hardwood.

Martial arts (wushu) spears are typically made of wax wood, a lighter and more flexible wood better suited for performance; these are called flower spears.

Many Chinese martial arts feature spear training in their curriculum. The conditioning provided by the spear technique is seen as invaluable and in many styles, it is the first weapons training introduced to students. Moreover, some schools of empty-handed fighting in China credit the spear technique as their foundation, notably Xingyiquan and Bajiquan.

A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or bronze. The most common design for hunting or combat spears since ancient times has incorporated a metal spearhead shaped like a triangle, lozenge, or leaf. The heads of fishing spears usually feature barbs or serrated edges.

The word spear comes from the Old English spere, from the Proto-Germanic speri, from a Proto-Indo-European root *sper- "spear, pole". Spears can be divided into two broad categories: those designed for thrusting in melee combat and those designed for throwing (usually referred to as javelins).

The spear has been used throughout human history both as a hunting and fishing tool and as a weapon. Along with the axe, knife and club, it is one of the earliest and most important tools developed by early humans. As a weapon, it may be wielded with either one hand or two. It was used in virtually every conflict up until the modern era, where even then it continues on in the form of the bayonet, and is probably the most commonly used weapon in history.

The art of fighting with the spear or Qiāng (槍) provides the foundation for the methods of Xíngyìquán. One of the oldest and most respected of the ancient weapons, it is traditionally known as the “King of All Weapons.” for its versatility and power.

Spears intended for civilian or solo use are generally shorter (~6 – 8′) while longer 12’+ spears were commonly employed like pikes in group formations. The Qing lùyíng(綠營) ‘Green Standard Army’ commonly employed spears measuring 15’+.

Spear shafts were most often fashioned from a strong, flexible hardwood like Ash or Hickory. Generally they were left unfinished, occasionally however they were finished, wrapped in Birch bark, or lacquered like those used by the Green Standard Army, which were lacquered vermilion in a tradition inherited from the Ming dynasty.

Occasionally spear shafts were made from other types of wood including White Waxwood, or joined bamboo strips which would then be wrapped with Birch bark or lacquered.

Spear heads can vary considerably in size, weight and appearance, however most spear points typically measure between ~ 7 – 14″ with the collar adding an additional ~ 6 – 10″ to the overall length.

While most traditional Chinese spears are relatively simple, numerous variations exist including those featuring blades, hooks, additional points, various forms of stopper to keep the opponent at distance, and in the case of the ‘Nail Spear’ an additional sharp edge set into the shaft to prevent the enemy from grabbing it.

To provide a counterbalance to the weight of the spearhead, a spiked steel end cap or ferrule may frequently be found on the butt end of many longer spears. Alternatively, the weight may be balanced by tapering the spear shaft from approximately ~1.5 – 1.75″ wide at the base, to about 1″ where the spear point is attached.

Unfortunately very few surviving antique spears which retain their original spiked end caps have survived, however they can be seen clearly in period illustrations including in the Huángcháo Lǐ Qì Tú Shì – Wǔbèi which lists them varying between 4 – 6″ in length.

Red yak or horse hair plumes are a common but not universal feature found on many Chinese spears, and were frequently employed by the Ming, and Qing military among others.

In this article I highlight a number of spears used by the Qing dynasty military. They come from the Huangchao Liqi Tushi(皇朝禮器圖式 ) of 1766, based on a 1759 manuscript. It was compiled under auspices of the Qianlong emperor himself, who -to our fortune- was all about the careful recording of the minute details of the workings of his dynasty.

The work lists no less than 31 polearms, among which various types of spears, forks, and halberds. For this article I have kept to the spears and their close relatives, leaving out some of the less conventional shapes, coming to a total of ten spear types.

The Chinese didn"t differentiate between spear and lance, both are called qiāng (槍). As such we do not always know which of these were used on foot, and which from horseback. I will consistently call them spear in this article, even though some are surely used as lances, they may have doubled as spears. On military artwork of the Qing, we frequently see even Manchu elite cavalry dismount and face the enemy on foot with bow, arrow, and spear.

An interesting difference between the spears in this article and the spears we see later in the hands of civilian militia and martial artists is that the military spears have less of a taper and are mostly counterbalanced by a large steel fitting at the butt end. Civilian and martial arts spears are often balanced by having a strong taper, with a very thick butt end narrowing down considerably towards the tip. The metal parts being quite expensive in pre-industrial China, this was probably a cheaper way to reach a similar balance.

Spear 1 to 3 were in use by the Manchu and Mongol troops of the Eight Banners, an elite front-line army that was stationed in the capital and a series of garrisons on strategic locations. Spear 4 to 10 were in use by the all-Chinese "Green Standard Army" which served as internal peacekeepers and a backup to the Eight Banners armies in larger conflicts. They were spread over many towns and garrisons across the empire.

We can see that Eight Banner spears are massive compared to those of the Green Standard Army. Also, the shafts are all natural wood with no additional finish. The Green Standard Army spears, adhering to Chinese traditions inherited from the Ming dynasty, are almost all lacquered vermillion. Also, Eight Banners spears all have "stoppers" to keep a target from moving in too close. This initially came from the Manchu large game hunting spears.

Regulations of the dynasty; Tiger Spear Division"s Tiger Spear: Spearhead made of forged steel. Overall 8 chi 3 cun long. Spearhead is 9 cun long, with triangular tip and center ridge. Shaft is 7 chi 4 cun long, made of white waxwood. At the top of the shaft are tied two transverse pieces of deer antler, 1 cun long. There is a horn ferrule at the end of the shaft. The spearhead is covered with a leather bag, wrapped with birch bark. It is carried by tying it to a leather belt."

The Tiger Spear Division was set up in the 23rd year of Kangxi (1677). They were the best horseback archers drawn from the Eight Banners Vanguard, Guard Division, and Firearms Division. They served as imperial guards while the emperor was in the imperial hunting grounds of Mulan, an area full of wild animals such as bears and the large Siberian tiger. Their spear was a traditional Manchu hunting spear, with its two deer horn stoppers to prevent the spear from penetrating so deep that the animal could reach the wielder. They are related to Siberian hunting spears.

Bottom left: Left a magnificent golden damascened antique tiger spear I photographed in the Palace Museum in Beijing, with sunken panels inspired on Indian push daggers or katar.

"According to the regulations of the dynasty; Jianruiying Long Spear: Spearhead made of forged steel. Overall 1 zhang 3 cun long. Spearhead is 9 cun long, with triangular point with a central ridge. The wooden shaft is 9 chi long and the circumference is 4 cun 6 fen. It has steel edge like a knife inserted in the side, glued into the spear, that is 1 chi 4 cun long and 5 fen wide. Under [the spearhead] are connected two wooden balls with black horse hair. Steel fitting at end is 4 cun long."

An interesting adaptation of elements from the Tiger Spear Division"s Tiger Spear and the Green Standard Army Nail Spear: It has round stoppers to keep the opponent at a distance and a sharp edge glued in the shaft to prevent the opponent from grabbing it.

"According to the regulations of the dynasty; Guard Division Valiant Cavalry Long Spear: Spearhead made of forged steel. Overall 1 zhang 3 chi 7 cun long. Spearhead is 1 chi 1 cun long. At the base of the socket is a round iron disc, 2 fen thick. Below it a tassel of bright red yak hair. The wooden shaft is 1 zhang 2 chi and 2 cun long. Steel fitting at end is 4 cun long.

Interestingly, when looking at the operational regulations for the Eight Banners forces, all divisions are issued long spears, not only the Guard Division. The regular Valiant Cavalry of the Manchu and Mongol banners are also issued long spears. One wonders why only long spears of the Guard Division, Jianruiying, and Green Standard Army are described in this work but not the long spears of the Valiant Cavalry, and whether there were fundamental differences with the other long spears of the Eight Banners army.

"According to the regulations of the dynasty; Green Standard Army Long Spear: Spearhead made of forged steel. Overall 1 zhang 4 chi long. Spearhead is 7 cun long. Shaft is 1 zhang 3 chi long with a circumference of 3 cun 7 fen. Made of wood, lacquered vermillion. It has a red yak hair tassel. Steel fitting at end is 3 cun long."

The Green Standard Army was a remnant of the old Ming army. It consisted of mostly Han Chinese soldiers, scattered over various towns and garrisons all across the empire. Where the Eight Banners relied for a large part on classic mounted steppe warfare, combined with firearms, is among the Green Standard Army that most traditional Chinese weapons are found. The Green Standard Army Long spear is the classical Chinese fighting spear.

"According to the regulations of the dynasty; Green Standard Army Hook Sickle Spear: Spearhead made of forged steel. Overall 7 chi 2 cun long. Spearhead is 8 cun. The top is sharp, on the side is a blade curved inwards, inner diameter 2 cun. Shaft is 6 chi long with a circumference of 4 cun. Made of wood, lacquered vermillion. Steel fitting at end is 4 cun long."

Such hook spears can be formidable weapons against shield-bearing troops where the hook can be used to pull the shield aside, followed by a thrust. It might also serve well for guards, where trespassers can be caught or tackled.

"According to the regulations of the dynasty; Green Standard Army Double Hook Spear: Spearhead made of forged steel. It has two blades o the side, curving inwards, constructed like the Hook Spear. Shaft is 7 chi long with a circumference of 2 cun 7 fen. Shaft completely wrapped with birch bark."

"According to the regulations of the dynasty; Green Standard Army Tiger Tooth Spear: Spearhead made of forged steel. Overall 9 chi 1 cun. Spearhead is 7 cun long with a triangular point and center ridge. Either side has a short edge shaped like a tiger"s tooth, both 1 cun 7 fen long. It has a red yak hair tassel. Shaft is 8 chi long with a circumference of 2 cun 8 fen. Made of wood, lacquered vermillion. Steel fitting at end is 4 cun long."

"According to the regulations of the dynasty; Green Standard Army Hand Spear: Spearhead made of forged steel. Overall 3 chi 4 cun 2 fen long. Spearhead 5 cun 7 fen long, sharp tip. Shaft 2 chi 9 cun long with a circumference of 1 cun 7 fen. Made of joined bamboo [strips], wrapped with birch bark. It has a bone ferrule at the end."

These are not javelins for throwing, as those are covered in a different part of the same text. The construction with various strips is also used on Ming era Chinese arrows and on Japanese spears. It makes a rather light, but very strong shaft. The use of these small hand spears is probably as close quarters thrusting weapons. There is a beautiful example with golden decorated tip in the Palace Museum collection in Beijing.

"According to the regulations of the dynasty; Green Standard Army Nail Spear: Spearhead made of forged steel. Overall 1 zhang 4 chi 9 cun 5 fen long. Spearhead is 1 chi long. On top is a sharp [edge] tied in place to the top of the shaft with rattan. Shaft is 1 zhang 4 chi long with a circumference of 3 cun 7 fen. Made of joined bamboo [strips], lacquered vermillion."

Although described as a Green Standard Army spear, you also see this specific spear in the hands of Eight Banners troops and even on paintings in use by their Dzungar adversaries. The style may have even been inspired by lances encountered from the Dzungars, as we consistently see Dzungar troops depicted with them in battle paintings of the East-Turkestan campaign of 1755-1759.

Former Dzungar Ayusi who defected to the Qing. He became a loyal warrior and high level military commander for the Qing. He was known as an unrivalled spearman, and is always depicted with his "Nail Spear", on foot and on horseback.

"According to the regulations of the dynasty; Green Standard Army Spear: Spearhead made of forged steel. Overall 1 zhang 1 chi long. Spearhead is 7 cun long. Sharp on top, fat in the middle, reduced at the bottom, like the shape of a willow leaf. Shaft is 1 zhang long with a circumference of 3 cun 7 fen. Made of wood, lacquered vermillion. Steel fitting at end is 3 cun long."

Note that in the Chinese text the word for spear in this entry is not the common qiāng (槍),but the somewhat less common máo (矛). Qiāng come in various shapes and sizes, some leaf-shaped, others with wilder shapes like a cross or blazing fire. Máo, at least in the Qing, differentiate from qiāng in that they have long and slender heads with a rather thick cross-section. They are more suited for the armor piercing thrust, and less for the cut, than most varieties of qiangencountered, and may have primarily served as lances.

Qiang is the name for the Chinese spear. It’s called the king of Chinese weapons and has been used since ancient times. It is very long but not very heavy. Ancient texts say to attack like a dragon rising from the water, coming at the enemy from all sides until it reaches its target.

We’ll talk about the Chinese spear and what makes it so strong. We will discuss the types and what causes them to differ from other spears. Then we’ll examine what the Qiang looks like and the best Chinese spears you can buy online. Finally, you will learn how it is used correctly and a bit about its past.

There are four types of Chinese spears. They are the Chinese spear sword, the single and double hook spears, and the snake head pattern spear. Let’s look at them separately.

The Chinese spear is modified to be used not only as a thrusting weapon but as a slashing one, like a sword. That is why the leaf is sharpened on every side, and the Chinese Qiang can be used to attack from various distances.

This Chinese spear has a single hook on the side and neck of the shaft. It is added to enhance the spear’s use as a thrusting and side-stabbing weapon.

The double hook Chinese spear has two hooks, sometimes on both sides of the shaft or simply placed on one side. This way, the Chinese spear can be used as a halberd or an axe.

This type of Chinese spear has a pointy and deadly steel edge made in the form of a snake. You can easily recognize this spear as it differs from the normal leaf look. This type of spear didn’t have much practical use and was primarily used for ceremonial purposes.

The tassel shows that the soldier is part of an elite unit. It also works well for tactical purposes. For example, when the spear moves quickly, the tassel helps blur or confuse the enemy’s vision, making it harder for them to grab the spear’s shaft.

Some might even say that it is used so that the enemy’s blood won’t go into the hands of the wielder of the Chinese spear, as blood can make it sticky or hard to use. In modern times, the tassel is used in many LARPs. It plays a very important role, usually showing who the leaders are.

Unlike spears used in other countries, the Chinese spear wasn’t made to be thrown. Instead, a special set of techniques, similar to the single-headed staff, was used.

Generals preferred spears because they were better than other weapons in terms of how they worked and what they could be used for. The spear was usually light in relation to its length and could be used quickly, reaching a maximum range of 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) if used one-handed.

When students want to enter Chinese martial arts to learn some of its history and usage, the first test they need to pass is the Chinese spear technique.

The Chinese spear is one of the four main weapons (spear, sword, saber, and pole) of Tai Chi. A special type of Tai Chi Chinese spear is made of wax wood specifically for the size and height of a student for easier understanding and use. Surprisingly, there are 71 forms of the Chinese spear that one student can learn!

The Qiang is also a weapon used in the traditional Chinese martial art known as Kung Fu. It is one of the eight weapons used for training. Chinese Kung Fu has a lot of Shaolin spear forms to learn that take years to master and perfect.

There are undoubtedly several choices among the high-quality Chinese spears. A Chinese spear is a fairly expensive weapon to own as it takes much time and effort to create.

This Dragon spear is beautiful and useful. It is made from folded high-carbon Damascus steel and has a stainless steel handle. These spears were one of the first weapons Japanese warriors used. Therefore, its usage and effectiveness were very well known. The technique for this weapon involves thrusting and stabbing but sometimes also slashing and hitting.

The blade of the spear is made of 1060 stainless steel, giving a fully functional spear that works best for cutting soft or medium targets. This spear is battle ready and will be delivered sharpened for immediate use if needed. Although it comes at a low price, it is ideal for use.

The spear has a total length of 7.8 feet (2.4 meters) and weighs 6.6 pounds (3 kg). It is very long but also very light. This budget Qiang can be a great weapon or kept as a decorative piece.

This spear is made with the dragon and tiger on it. This symbol is imprinted on the ropes it carries around and on the spearhead. If you want to participate in a LARP to show off the Chinese dynasty, consider choosing the dragon and tiger as your symbol.

This LARP spear is not very long – 4.9 feet long (1.5 meters), making it the ideal length for roleplay scenarios. It weighs a total of 12.7 pounds (5.8 kg), and it comes at a moderate price.

This spear is a beautiful replica of an ancient Chinese weapon that was only used by the best soldiers. The leaf-shaped blade is hand-made from folded pattern steel and polished by hand 13 times in the traditional way. The shaft is made of the highest quality stainless steel, which contributes to its high price. The tassel shows that a soldier is an elite soldier with tactical use.

An interesting fact about the construction of the Chinese spear is that it takes 11 different people to craft it, and only six are focused on the iron/steel parts.

First, the shaft is created. Most spear shafts were made from hardwoods like ash or hickory that were strong and flexible, but sometimes other types of wood were used, such as white wax wood or joined strips of bamboo that were wrapped in birch bark and lacquered. The ones made from wax wood are called flower spears or wushu.

It is made of steel or iron, and the sides are carefully scraped to give it not only a sharp point at the end but also a sharp edge on both sides. The end of the spear can be very heavy. For that reason, a metal cap is added on top of the spear shaft so that the weight is evenly distributed.

The Chinese spear, called a Ch’iang or Qiang, is probably thousands of years old. Not only is it one of the oldest military weapons in China, but it was a weapon that was regularly used throughout the years.

Before 400 BC, foot soldiers used nine feet long (2.7 meters) spears, but sometimes they used ones that were eighteen feet long (5.5 meters). These Chinese spears had a point that could thrust and a blade that could cut or hook.

Ancient texts say that a soldier would take a year to learn how to use a Jian – a thrusting double-bladed sword, while it only took one month to teach them how to use the Chinese spear.

Through the years, the Chinese spear was regularly improved upon. The armor of the Chinese warriors was getting bigger, meaning that the weapons needed to follow suit. That is why the Qiang had a sharp point, two edges on the sides, and was made to be used in nearly all sorts of fighting situations.

The biggest Chinese myths and legends are often described as the hero or heroine wielding a Chinese type of Qiang, or spear. The most recognizable ones you may hear about are Hua Mulan, Li Chung, and Yang Cheng Fu. They developed certain methods to slash and destroy thousands of enemies using this weapon as a spear and a sword.

The difference between a Chinese spear and a javelin is that the Chinese spear isn’t meant to be a throwing weapon. It can be used as a normal spear to attack from a distance or a slashing sword from the side. It can even be used as a long pole weapon for stabbing and thrusting.

Just as the Katana is Japan’s biggest and most important weapon, the Chinese spear is the oldest, most used, and most valued weapon in China. It remains one of the most used and recognizable Chinese weapons in modern times and deservingly holds the king title in its name.