I stumbled upon this commercial retail site that discusses some of the famous swords of Chinese history: http://www.orientalgiftcenter.com/oriental...wordhistory.htm .

How accurate is this website about the information about King Gou Jian's sword, Fu Cai's sword, and The Sword of Perserverance? And anyone have anymore larger quality pictures of these swords? They certainly look extremely beautiful and deadly at the same time!

Also, someone can discuss some of the other famous swords in Chinese history, and post pictures of them, that'd be great!

General Qi's Saber

Didn't Zhao Yun find the luminous sabre while fighting Cao Cao's troops?

Moose, that's not history. That's literature

not really 'a' famous sword, but a famous sword type- the Song Zhanmadao

I've heard it is one of the few swords, if the only, that can actually chop through plate armor (apparantly a test on the History channel or some show with various blades, and only the zhanmadao penetrated)

considering it was built to be the ultimate chopper (horse heads flying about!)
is this myth, or fact, or exaggerated fact?

I think what they actually used in the test was the broad-bladed weapon known in the Ming and Qing as the podao, but now mistakenly referred to as the zhanmadao. Anyway, the zhanmadao was meant for chopping horse legs, not heads

I've read a passage from the sword website that the drill was 'strike legs, then head'

Hahaha,thanks.

I read somewhere that Jiang Tai Gong designed a sword (curved sword or double edged sword!?) . Is it true? .. or Is it just a sword named after him? ...

Presumed you're talking about this weapon

Horse Chopping Blade

Cardinal, your link sends me to microsoft-


If the test was done with a podao... Maybe that's the reason I see it in pictures of Imperial Guard so often.

Dynasty
Sword Name,Chinese Name, Forged/Owned, Length
Remarks
Prehistory

Xianyuanjian 軒轅劍
Waying 畫影
Tengkong 騰空

Xia
(2207-1766 BCE)

Yujian 禹劍
Qijian 啟劍
Taikangjian 太康劍
Jiajian 夾劍

Shang
(1765?-1122 BCE)

Dingguang 定光
Zhaodan 照膽
Hanguang 含光
Chengjing 承景
Jilian 脊練


Zhou
(1121-771 BCE)

Tianyue Shangfang 鎮嶽尚方
Kunwujian 昆吾劍
Jun 駿

Chunqiu Zhanguo
(770-221 BCE)

Ganjiang 干將
Moxie 莫邪
Zhanlu 湛盧
Chungou 純勾
Shengxie 勝邪
Yuchang 魚腸
Jujue 巨闕
Yanri 掩日
Duanshui 斷水
Zhuanbo 轉魄
Xuanjian 懸翦
Jingni 驚鯢
Miehun 滅魂
Quexie 卻邪
Zhengang 真剛
Longyuan 龍淵
Taie 太阿
Gongbu 工布

Qin
(221-207 BCE)

Jie 誡
Dingqin 定秦



Han
(206 BCE-220 CE)

Shenjian 神劍
Chixiao 赤霄
Shengui 神龜
Bafu 八服
Maolingjian 茂陵劍
Mao 毛
Gui 貴
Yan 衍
Chengsheng Wanlifu 乘勝萬里伏
Gengguo 更國
Xiuba 秀霸
Yujujian 玉具劍
Longcai 龍彩
Jinjian 金劍
Anhan 安漢
Zhongxing 中興


Sanguo
(220-280 CE)

Mengde 孟德
Sizhao 思召
Shubajian (The Eight Swords of Shu) 蜀八劍
Zhenshanjian 鎮山劍
Yitian 倚天
Wenshijian 文士劍
Baihong 白虹
Zidian 紫電
Pixie 辟邪
Liuxing 流星
Qingming 青冥
Bali 百里
Dawu 大吳
Liuguang 流光
Longjian 龍劍
Huangdi Wuwang 皇帝吳王
Yanzhi 燕支
Caoyu 蔡愉
Shulou 屬鏤
Gansheng 干勝
Moyang 墨陽
Ganjiang 干將
Moxie 莫邪



Jin
(265-420 CE)
Buguang 步光
Wufang Chanfu 五方單符
Longyuan 龍泉
Taie 太阿
Shenjian 神劍



Nanbeichao
(386-589 CE)

Dingguo 定國
Rongchang 永昌
Liangshenjian 梁神劍
Zhenshan 鎮山
Chenshui 沉水
Longqiao 龍雀
Taichang 太常
Daliang Shijian 大梁氏劍


Tang
(618-907 CE)

Wanren 萬仞
Xujingyang 許旌陽
Qinglongjian 青龍劍
Qingshuang 青霜
Qianjinjian 千金劍
Huojingjian 火精劍
Suiren aka Langjian 隋刃 aka 浪劍
Yubinglong 玉柄龍 Guo Ziyi
Jielaobin 疥癆賓 Yan Hui
Yajiujian 鴉九劍




Wudai Shiguo
(907-979 CE)
Wangshijian 王氏劍




Song
(960-1279 CE)

Youfan Baojian 酉蕃寶劍
Gutongjian 古銅劍

Feiminjian 裴旻劍
Lingbaojian 靈寶劍
Poshanjian 破山劍
Chutongjian 楚銅劍




Yuan
(1207-1367 CE)
Qiaojian 鞘劍




Ming
(1368-1644 CE)
Andingjian 安定劍

Any details on any of these?

Still working on them

Who owns General Qi's Saber now? Is it a public museum, and if so, where is it displayed?

Pictures if possible would be nice too.

Many yrs ago, I heard through a friend of a friend that in Beijing there is a private Chinese sword museum that has a large collection of those ancient swords. ... Can anyone confirm that for me? ...

Cardinal, I would loathe to use the WLE site as a weapons reference, for historical purposes. Much of that is martial arts lore they spread.
That is a Po Dao, not a Zhan Ma Dao they have on their site.
That the Po Dao was a Zhan Ma Dao is a Martial arts misconception.

Did not know that.

Not a student of WL. Was using the pic from their site as a reference.

Thanks f/ the insight.

[quote=Wujiang,Apr 26 2005, 02:27 AM]
Famous swords ?

Here you go


Song
酉蕃寶劍
古銅劍
楚銅劍

Can you translate these. My computer doesn't read Chinese characters.

Cheers

None exists.


Technically, that was a Zhanmadao. The difference between the two is generally a matter thick blade vs long handle. Thick blade + short handle = Podao. Equal length of blade and handle = zhanmadao.

The problem often is how terms change meaning through the ages.

Guan Yu's weapon replica in Luoyang