Fu is similar to another Chinese weapon Yue, but is much smaller and lighter and has more practical applications. The Fu was characterized by large blade that was often carved with a image of a powerful animal. The Fu, Chinese name for the axe, was usually held by imperial guards, rather than common soldiers. The army favored bladed weapons as they were more durable. The Gun was rarely used by the Chinese army, and its most common usage is to train new recruits. It was usually made from bamboo and mainly used for self-defense. Though just a simple staff, the Gun was one of the Four Major Weapons in ancient China. In Ancient China the Dao was used mainly for hand to hand combat especially for the cavalry on horseback. Dao can be described as a single-edged Chinese sword with wood wrapped handle. The Dao was one of the most commonly used arms in ancient China. Skilled crossbowman could launch 10 bolts in 15 seconds before exhausting the magazine. It comprises a feeder on top and a lever near the end for repeating action. The Nu was a semi-automatic crossbow invented by Chinese about 2,400 years ago. Yue was created especially for against heavy-armor enemy. It has a threatening expanded blade and is usually decorated with a magical animal in Chinese myth. Yue is an axe-shaped arms used in China about 3,000 years ago. It was usually used along with a dagger-axe or saber. It is a big board held in the hand to protect against the attacking of other weapons such as arrow and spear.

The Dun (made of metal or wood or bamboo) is Chinese name for shield. The double bladed Jian was a harder weapon to control than a single-blade saber, so in ancient China Jian was usually owned and used by the educated class or skilled warrior. The Jian, a double-edged straight sword, was regarded as the king of all weapons in ancient China. The Qiang was used in battles for long distance combat including throwing spears, even after fire weapons were introduced by the Qin Dynasty. The common Qiang could was a kind of spear with a long staff and a steel mounted tip. Qiang, a type of spear, was an important weapon in ancient China. In ancient China archery has always been an essential subject of the military exam for official selection. The archers had always been an important branch of the imperial army until the late 19th century. According to archaeological materials, the use of bow by ancient Chinese went as early as 2800 years ago. The bow is called “Gong” in Chinese language and it has a long history in ancient China. If you feel like any important weapon is excluded in the list, please let me know in the comment section. Below is a list of top 10 ancient Chinese weapons. These ancient (medieval) weapons were masterpieces of engineering and helped Chinese army succeed much easier. And weapons of course played an important role in it.

The ancient Chinese army won many famous battles and was a very successful force in the Asian continent. The ancient China civilization has seen a variety of martial arts and battle techniques.

List of medieval weapons