Volume 94 of the Treatise on Armament Technology

Original title: Wubei Zhi. This monumental work, compiled by Mao Yuanyi in 1621, remains the most extensive military manual in Chinese history.

Military Equipment: Siege Warfare I

Volume 94 of the Treatise on Armament Technology

Military Equipment: Siege Warfare I

The following illustration depicts a specialized Battle Cart (戰車) used specifically for siege operations.

The armored vehicle shown here is a vital component of the siege train. It is designed with a steeply sloped roof, a structural choice made to deflect heavy stones, incendiary arrows, and boiling liquids dropped by defenders from the heights of city walls.

The main compartment is fully enclosed, providing a mobile shelter for a squad of armored soldiers. Through the viewing windows, these soldiers can monitor the approach to the wall and coordinate their movements while remaining protected from projectile fire. The large, heavy-duty wheels are designed to traverse the uneven terrain often found at the base of fortifications, allowing the unit to deliver sappers or infantry directly to the foot of the wall to begin breaching operations.

In the context of the Wubizhi, these are often referred to as "Crawling Carts" or "Fenwen" (蕡轀). Their primary purpose was to protect soldiers as they worked to undermine walls or fill in moats under heavy fire.