Chinese Broadsword

More commonly referred to in China as dao, the Chinese broadsword is used for slashing, slicing, chopping and cutting. Other cutting weapons, such as polearms and halberds, have been called daos as well because of the curved shapes of their blades. The broadsword is a saber, and it is considered the “General of All Weapons”. It is a curved, single-edged sword, though other swords have a few inches of sharpened back edges as well.

The dao is still used nowadays for teaching self-defense techniques in many martial arts schools because of its versatility. It is also used as a wooden broadsword for practicing Wushu. However, the earliest appearance of this type of sword was in the Bronze Age as single-edged, slightly curved sword. It was during the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) that the Chinese broadsword was issued to be used by both the military and the cavalry, since it was much easier to master than the straight sword, jian and the spear, qiang. Manchu officials also receive daos.

Legend has it that Tsang Her, a Chinese god, uses the Dao. Sui Renshi, on the other hand, is a mythical emperor who is said to have invented it using melted gold.