Wubei Zhi (Vol. 53)

Page 622

Wooden Cannon

original: "木砲" (Mu Pao). These were lightweight or emergency cannons made from hollowed hardwood and reinforced with iron hoops. They were cheaper and more portable than bronze or iron guns, though less durable.

Six Harmonies Cannon

original: "六合砲" (Liuhe Pao). "Six Harmonies" is a cosmological term referring to the four cardinal directions plus zenith (up) and nadir (down), representing the entire universe. This name suggests a weapon of total, all-encompassing power.

Invincible Bamboo General Cannon

original: "無敵竹將軍砲" (Wudi Zhu Jiangjun Pao). A famous Ming-era weapon made from a thick section of giant bamboo reinforced with iron bands. It was used to fire a mixture of gunpowder, lead pellets, and "poison fire" at close range.

Paper-Pasted Round Bomb

original: "紙糊圓砲" (Zhihu Yuan Pao). These were incendiary or fragmentation shells with casings made of many layers of tough, lacquered paper. They were designed to burst and scatter fire or blinding chemicals rather than relying on heavy metal casings.

Flying Mineral-Mist Cannon

original: "飛礞砲" (Feimeng Pao). "Meng" refers to mengshi (lapis chlorite or mica), a mineral used in specialized gunpowder recipes. This weapon likely produced a blinding or suffocating smoke cloud.

Lychee Cannon

original: "荔枝砲" (Lizhi Pao). Named for the bumpy skin of the lychee fruit; this refers to the appearance of the shell, which was packed with numerous small iron balls or "seeds" to create a cluster-shot effect.

Wind and Dust Cannon

original: "風塵砲" (Fengchen Pao). A poetic name for a weapon used to create a "storm" of projectiles or smoke, obscuring the battlefield like a sudden dust storm.

Pomegranate Cannon of the Divine Engine for Striking Bandits

original: "擊賊神機柘榴砲" (Jizei Shenji Zheliu Pao). Much like the Western "grenade" (named after the pomegranate), this "Pomegranate Cannon" contained many internal "seeds" (shrapnel) that scattered upon explosion. "Divine Engine" (Shenji) was a prestigious label for sophisticated imperial weaponry.

Man-Felling Cannon

original: "人墜砲" (Renzhui Pao). Literally "the cannon that makes men fall," this was a dedicated anti-personnel weapon intended to sweep infantry off their feet or breach enemy formations.