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Pages

武備志(三十四)

Wubei Zhi (Vol. 34)

武備志(三十四)

Chinese

1621

95 pages

Chinese Classics Chinese History Statecraft East Asia Chinese Technology Chinese Military Technology

First Complete Translation

Only partial translations or excerpts exist. This is the first complete English translation.

The Wubei Zhi (武備志) is a massive 240-volume military encyclopedia from the Ming Dynasty. Search results indicate that while several significant sections have been translated into English—such as the 'Straight Sword' chapter by Jack Chen and various excerpts in scholarly works on martial arts and siege warfare—no complete English translation of the entire work has ever been published. This makes any attempt at a full translation a first complete English translation.

Related translations found:

Ancient Art of Chinese Long Straight Sword, trans. Jack Chen (2018) [partial] source

The Shaolin Monastery: History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts, trans. Meir Shahar (2008) [excerpts] source

Chinese Siege Warfare: Mechanical Artillery & Siege Weapons of Antiquity, trans. Liang Jieming (2006) [excerpts] source

Verified Mar 8, 2026 via local catalogs, local catalogs, open library, google books, google books, open library, google books, ustc · methodology

Chinese History & Statecraft Natural Philosophy & Science Chinese Classics

About This Book

militaryhistory

Unlock the mechanical secrets of the Ming Dynasty’s most formidable weapon in this technical masterpiece by Mao Yuanyi. Discover how the restoration of ancient bronze engineering and the meticulous 'science of bamboo' transformed the crossbow into a precision instrument capable of turning common soldiers into elite marksmen.

Index

151 terms

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Major Themes

武備志36pWubei Zhi29pMing Dynasty weaponry18p

aerodynamicsp. 42, p. 45, p. 53

ancient weaponryp. 53, p. 90

archeryp. 50, p. 69, p. 89

archery equipmentp. 35, p. 41, p. 64

archery maintenancep. 30, p. 49

archery technologyp. 21, p. 48

archery vs. crossbowp. 5, p. 6

armor penetrationp. 52, p. 53, p. 54, p. 88

arrow quiverp. 47, p. 48

ballisticsp. 3, p. 11, p. 12, p. 24, p. 44, p. 49, p. 72, p. 75+2 more

bamboo laminationp. 21, p. 24

bamboo sliverp. 63, p. 64

bolt retainerp. 63, p. 64

bowstringp. 4, p. 36

bronze castingp. 6, p. 7, p. 9, p. 13, p. 73

Bronze Mechanismp. 8, p. 74

cattiesp. 3, p. 4

cross-slotsp. 35, p. 36

crossbowp. 2, p. 3, p. 4, p. 10, p. 11, p. 35, p. 36, p. 59+4 more

crossbow boltp. 37, p. 41, p. 46

crossbow boltsp. 39, p. 43, p. 45

crossbow constructionp. 17, p. 20, p. 21, p. 22, p. 23, p. 32, p. 76, p. 77+5 more

crossbow dimensionsp. 9, p. 13, p. 15

crossbow engineeringp. 11, p. 74

crossbow mechanicsp. 44, p. 72

crossbow mechanismp. 10, p. 12, p. 16

crossbow shoulderp. 63, p. 64

crossbow spanningp. 31, p. 34, p. 93

crossbow stockp. 14, p. 25, p. 26

crossbow stringp. 28, p. 30

crossbow tacticsp. 66, p. 67, p. 68, p. 69

crossbow technologyp. 33, p. 73

cunp. 9, p. 80, p. 81

deer's scrotump. 47, p. 48

Divine Arm crossbowp. 93, p. 94

draw weightp. 15, p. 70, p. 71

ergonomicsp. 56, p. 85, p. 87

eye|the central socket through which the bow-arm passesp. 80, p. 81

feet|Traditional Chinese 'chi', approximately 1 foot or 31 cmp. 85, p. 86

fenp. 9, p. 80, p. 81

Showing 40 of 148 entries.

Illustrations31

Woodcut illustration of a man in traditional Chinese attire demonstrating how to cock a crossbow using his knee.

woodcut

Woodcut illustration of a soldier in Ming dynasty armor operating a crossbow.

woodcut

Woodcut illustration of three soldiers demonstrating a rotating crossbow advancement tactic.

woodcut

Woodcut illustration of a soldier kneeling and firing a crossbow.

woodcut

Woodcut illustration of a man firing a crossbow.

woodcut

Three soldiers in a staggered formation operating crossbows, illustrating a tactical firing method.

woodcut

Illustration of a soldier using his waist and legs to draw a heavy crossbow.

woodcut

Woodcut illustration showing two figures stringing a crossbow using a waist belt technique.

woodcut

Related Books

2 related

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Related works (2)

武備志(五十)茅元儀Mao Yuanyi, Mao Yuanyi, Mao Yuanyi (Master Mao), Qi Jiguang, Qi Jiguang 武備志(四十四)茅元儀Sichuan, Mao Yuanyi, Mao Yuanyi, Mao Yuanyi (Master Mao), Ma Long

Pages

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