greatmingmilitary

Source repository: descriptions and visual depictions of the appearance of Koxinga's army and Tie Ren (鐵人)

1. Inspiration of Tie Ren (鐵人)

『吊各提督統領班回思明，選練征勦。迨至，集諸將議曰：『先年護國嶺殺敗阿格商所拾衣甲，全身披掛是鐵；所以敢下馬打死仗者，恃有此耳。其如我兵精勇何？今我亦用此披掛，勦殺醜虜，諸將以為何如？』 政王秀奇進曰：『披掛全身穿帶，不下三十...

Notable ancient Chinese naval battles 485 BC-1367 AD (WIP)

This list is meant to be a companion reading for my Classical oared warships of pre-modern Chinese navies article for my supporter-tier patrons, with the hope that notable ancient Chinese naval battles can shed some lights on why Chinese warships developed the ...

Lian Zhu Pao (連珠砲) and Yu Gu Pao (漁皷砲)

Lian Zhu Pao (連珠砲, lit. 'Rapid bead cannon') and Yu Gu Pao (漁皷砲, lit. 'Fisherman's drum cannon') were two types of lightweight cannons commonly used by Ming garrison army of the strategically important San Bian (三邊, lit. 'Thre...

Hui Ping (灰瓶) and Yan Guan (煙罐)

Hui Ping (灰瓶, lit. 'Ash bottle') and Yan Guan (煙罐, lit. 'Smoke jar') were two oft-overlooked Ming less-lethal weapons commonly used in siege defence and naval warfare. As their namesakes suggest, Hui Ping was a ceramic bottle filled with quicklime powder, meant to be thrown at enemy soldiers to blind and suffocate them, whereas Yan Guan was a ...

Hu Wei Chong (虎尾銃)

Hu Wei Chong (虎尾銃, lit. 'Tiger tail gun'), also known as Hu Wei Pao (虎尾砲, lit. 'Tiger tail cannon'), was a common but very obscure Ming cannon first introduced around 1560s. So named after the long wooden handle attached to its breech, Hu Wei Chong was a lightweight iron cannon designed to be mounted on a wooden swiveling stand that allowe...

Notable actions of Zhejiang troops during the Imjin War

When I was writing about infantry formations of the Imjin War, I got curious: did these two military formations ever meet in Korea? This leads me down to a rabbit hole to seek out notable Zhejiang troops' exploits during Imjin War. As it turns out, yes, Zhejiang troops di...

Classical oared warships of pre-modern Chinese navies

For the most part, the appearance and designs of Chinese oared warships is still a matter of debate and conjecture, as to date no Chinese oared warship of any kind had been found. Information about Chinese oared warships had to be gleaned from studying written records, crude woodblock prints of military treatises, as well as shipwrecks of civilian vessels and ocean-going junks. Still, ther...

Shipborne close quarters weapons of pre-modern Chinese navies

When people think of pre-modern naval warfare in China and to a lesser extend East Asia, most think of imposing tower ships raining arrows and stones against the opposing fleet, or masses of fire ships turning the sea into a raging inferno à la Battle of Red Cliff.

But there were more to Chinese na...

Brigandine armours of the Ming Dynasty (revised 2024)

Introduction of brigandine to China

It is generally accepted that the Chinese adopted brigandine armour due to Mongol influence, although curiously this seems to have only happened after the fall of Mongol-ruled Yuan Dynasty. To elaborate, there are scant few records that suggest Yuan army made use of brigandine armour at all, and most "evidences" seem to come from Qing...

Unique Chinese weapon — Pai Gan (拍竿)

Pai Gan (拍竿, lit. 'Swatting pole') was an ancient Chinese weapon fitted to various warships to pulverise enemy ship at close range. Said to be able to outright sink a ship in one tremendous downward smash, it was in many ways an omni-directional alternative to naval ram. 

Pai Gan was first record...

[Archive] Counterweight whirlwind trebuchet?

Note: This short article is taken from a deleted portion of my blog post about Xuan Feng Pao (旋風砲) as I find it too speculative and possibly erroneous for my liking. It is only kept here for archival purpose.

Although not explic...

Yi Sun-sin's contribution to Imjin War

Since my movie review for Noryang: Deadly Sea is public, whereas my additional commentary and trivia article is an early access for my tipper-tier patrons, I've prepare...

Noryang: Deadly Sea: additional commentary and trivia

I am not done yet!

There are simply too many inaccuracies in the film for me to point them out one by one, so I will only point out some of the more glaring ones, and in a "what actually happened" format. As before, they will be presented in numbered points.

Movie review: Noryang: Deadly Sea

About time eh?

Since the Blu-ray only just came out recently and I'd like to strike while the iron is still hot and put the review out as fast as possible, this article will follow the format of my Battle of Jiksan article, that is, an update-as-I-write approach to this article, which will go live in my blog as soon as it is completed. I will still write additional contents that will rema...

Xu Chao Guang (許朝光), Yelang Beyond the Sea

In the previous months I've covered some Jia Jing Da Wo Kou (嘉靖大倭寇) topics, namely Zhang Lian (張璉), who was a mountain bandit being mistaken as Wokou, as well as 2024-05-22 05:35:51 +0000 UTC View Post

Battle of Jiksan: additional context and trivia

As promised, this post contains additional contents, contexts, and trivias for my Battle of Jiksan article that are either too lengthy/jumbled to be included in the main article, or something that may be interesting to know about, presented in numbered point format and best read as a companion article to my previous one. Unlike the main article, this post will remain exclusive to my supporters ...

Battle of Jiksan

Note to supporters: I wrote this article with the primary aim to provide a more comprehensive recounting of Battle of Jiksan than what is currently available on the English-speaking internet (and presumably to debunk some myths). Thus unlike my other Patreon supporter contents this will be made public in my blog on a later date. That being said, I will take an update-as-I-...

[Archive] Rocket carts of the Ming Dynasty

Note: This is an outdated version of my article about rocket carts of the Ming Dynasty, kept here for archival purpose. The up-to-date version of the article can be found in my blog.

Ever since the founding of Ming Dynasty, the Chinese had been an avid user of rocket weapon. Early Ming Dynasty rocket cart could have an upward of six hundred rockets, but subsequ...

Fei Long Hua Dao (飛龍化刀)

Fei Long Hua Dao (飛龍化刀, lit. 'Flying dragon turning into knives') is a highly unusual and viciously designed—if not terribly effective—rocket. Recorded in famous Ming military treatise Huo Long Jing (火龍經), this is a one zhang five fen long spear...

Qian Dan Yi Wo Feng (鉛彈一窩蜂)

Qian Dan Yi Wo Feng (鉛彈一窩蜂, lit. 'Lead bullet nest of bees')

Qian Dan Yi Wo Feng is a portable anti-personnel cannon that entered Ming arsenal in the early to mid-sixteenth century. Forged with the same method as a matchlock gun barrel, Qian Dan Yi Wo Feng has a short but wide body th...

Tian Bing Jian (天兵箭)

Tian Bing Jian (天兵箭, lit. 'Heavenly soldier arrow') is perhaps one of the most ingenious weapons ever devised before the modern era. It is essentially a huge war kite, seven to eight chi long and three to four chi<...