One of the central figures in the 14th century Chinese historical classic Romance Of The Three Kingdoms is General Guan Yu, a behemoth of a warrior who wields a weapon he crafted himself.
In the novel, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade is a curved sabre attached to a long pole and weighs 82 catties, which is equivalent to nearly 50kg. The guandao, as it is known, has since become a classic weapon in Chinese martial arts.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
