Huo Long Chuan (火龍船)

MINOR UPDATE MARCH 6, 2024

Drawing of a Huo Long Chuan, from 'Huo Long Jing (《火龍經》)'.

Huo Long Chuan (火龍船, lit. 'Fire dragon ship'), full name Shen Fei Du Jiao Huo Long Chuan (神飛獨角火龍船, lit. 'Divine flying single-horned fire dragon ship'), was an interesting weapon that was more of a trap than a true warship. It was a small, three-decked warship with the hull of an ocean-going vessel but is propelled by oars or paddle-wheels. The hull of Huo Long Chuan was heavily protected by bamboo palisade and raw cowhides, and its main deck was fitted with numerous gun and arrow loops allowing combatants on the ship to engage their enemy without exposing themselves to return fire. The ship was also possibly equipped with a naval ram, hence its "Single-horned" moniker. 

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Fei Kong Hua Shui Shen You Guan (飛空滑水神油罐)

Drawing of Fei Kong Hua Shui Shen You Guan, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

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Shen Ji Wan Sheng Huo Long Dao (神機萬勝火龍刀)

UPDATED MAY 24, 2022

Drawing of Shen Ji Wan Sheng Huo Long Dao, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

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Shui Di Long Wang Pao (水底龍王砲) and Hun Jiang Long (混江龍)

Shui Di Long Wang Pao (水底龍王砲, lit. 'Underwater dragon king bomb')

Drawing of Shui Di Long Wang Pao, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

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Du Zhan Qian Li Che (獨戰千里車)

A badly drawn illustration of Du Zhan Qian Li Che, from 'Wu Bian Qian Ji (《武編前集》)'.

Du Zhan Qian Li Che (獨戰千里車, lit. 'Wagon that can fight alone for a thousand li') was a six-wheeled gun-armed mobile fortress designed to combat Wokou and Mongol raiders alike. Unlike most other Ming war carts and wagons, it was not designed to form a wagon fort, but rather to operate alone or in small groups.

Du Zhan Qian Li Che featureed a rather odd wheel configuration. It had two pairs of wheels like normal wagon, but also had one extra front wheel and one extra rear wheel, which allowed it to traverse rough terrains such as narrow path and log bridge. Its fully enclosed body was made of wooden frame covered in protective leather screens measuring five chi tall by five chi wide, and was equipped numerous gun loops on all sides. The wagon could be further equipped with spikes and hooks mounted around its chassis, as well as two cannons at its front and rear for additional firepower.

It should be noted that the source of locomotive power of this wagon was not explained. The name implied that this wagon was pushed by its passengers from the inside, although it should be possible to equip the wagon with yoke and shafts so that it could be pulled by draught animals.

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Xiang Mo Chu (降魔杵)

Drawing of a Xiang Mo Chu (right), from 'Jin Tang Jie Zhu Shi Er Chou (《金湯借箸十二籌》) '.

Xiang Mo Chu (降魔杵, lit. 'Demon-subduing pestle', or Vajra) was a simple yet effective siege defence weapon designed to counter siege tower. It was simply a long battering ram mounted on top of fortress wall, designed to be used in conjunction with pole hooks to immobilise enemy siege tower so that it could be destroyed more easily.

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Dao Ma Huo She Shen Gun (倒馬火蛇神棍)

UPDATED MAY 24, 2022

Two Dao Ma Huo She Shen Gun, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

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Huo Nu Liu Xing Jian (火弩流星箭)

Drawing of a Huo Nu Liu Xing Jian, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

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Fei Tian Shen Huo Du Long Qiang (飛天神火毒龍鎗)

UPDATED MAY 24, 2022

Drawing of a Fei Tian Shen Huo Du Long Qiang, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

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Shen Xian Zi Fa Pai Che Chong (神仙自發排車銃)

Drawing of a Shen Xian Zi Fa Pai Che Chong, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Shen Xian Zi Fa Pai Che Chong (神仙自發排車銃, lit. 'Immortal's self-firing wheel gun'), also known as Shen Xian Zi Fa Pai Cha Chong (神仙自發排叉銃, lit. 'Immortal's self-firing fork gun') and Shen Huo Dao Chong (神火刀銃, lit. 'Divine fire bladed gun'), was a weapon that was very similar to Ping Guang Bu Zhan Sui Di Gun (平曠步戰隨地滾), but took the concept even further. The weapon was made of a hollowed tree log filled with gunpowder and came with multiple poisoned spikes, guns, flamethrowers, and poison smoke tubes. It also had a waterproofed fuse wired in such a way that the guns and flamethrowers would fire in succession (instead of firing everything at the same time).

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Feng Lei Huo Gun (風雷火滾)

Three Feng Lei Huo Gun, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

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Ping Kuang Bu Zhan Sui Di Gun (平曠步戰隨地滾)

Drawing of a Ping Kuang Bu Zhan Sui Di Gun, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Ping Kuang Bu Zhan Sui Di Gun (平曠步戰隨地滾, can be roughly translated as 'Anywhere roller for foot combat in wide plains') was a strange contraption designed to break enemy camps and disrupt enemy formations. It was essentially a tree log full of poisoned blades, hooks and nails, equipped with sixty linked black powder rocket propellers that pushed the weapon forward and doubled as short range flamethrowers. The tree trunk was also hollowed out and filled with explosives and blinding dust, so that it would explode into a shower of flaming wood splinters, smoke and blinding dust after a predetermined time.

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Gong Cheng Lin Chong Lu Gong Che (攻城臨衝呂公車)

Stylised illustration of a Lu Gong Che, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志 》)'.

Gong Cheng Lin Chong Lu Gong Che (攻城臨衝呂公車, lit. 'City-siege approaching assault cart of Lord Lu'), often shortened to Lin Chong Lu Gong Che (臨衝呂公車, lit. 'Approaching assault cart of Lord Lu') or simply Lu Gong Che (呂公車, lit. 'Cart of Lord Lu'), is the Chinese siege tower. It was named after the semi-legendary Lu Shang (呂尚), better known as Jiang Zi Ya (姜子牙).

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Wu Di Jiang Jun (無敵將軍)

Drawing of a Wu Di Jiang Jun (highlighted), from 'Chong Ke Wu Lue Shen Ji (《重刻武略神機》'.

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Lan Gu Huo You Shen Pao (爛骨火油神砲)

Drawing of a Lan Gu Huo You Shen Pao, from 'Wu Bei Zi (《武備志》)'.

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Hong Tian Pi Li Meng Huo Pao (轟天霹靂猛火砲)

Drawing of a Hong Tian Pi Li Meng Huo Pao, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Hong Tian Pi Li Meng Huo Pao (轟天霹靂猛火砲, lit. 'Sky-bombardment thundering fierce fire cannon/bomb') was a Ming cannon that shot a specialised cast iron explosive shell containing three different incendiary agents. Similar to Du Wu Shen Yan Pao (毒霧神煙砲), it was mostly used in siege.

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Du Wu Shen Yan Pao (毒霧神煙砲)

Drawing of a Du Wu Shen Yan Pao, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Du Wu Shen Yan Pao (毒霧神煙砲, lit. 'Poison mist and divine smoke cannon/bomb') was yet another Ming cannon that shot explosive shell. It was designed to shoot an incendiary-poison smoke-blinding dust shell to the top of a defensive wall in order to either disrupt or kill its defender, although other types of explosive shells could be used as well.

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Fei Yun Pi Li Pao (飛雲霹靂砲)

A Fei Yun Pi Li Pao, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Fei Yun Pi Li Pao (飛雲霹靂砲, lit. 'Flying cloud thunder cannon/bomb') was a type of cannon that shot explosive shell. It was superficially similar to Ba Mian Xuan Feng Tu Wu Hong Lei Pao (八面旋風吐霧轟雷砲), although unlike the aforementioned cannon, explosive shells launched from this cannon were filled with only one type of gunpowder (usually incendiary, although poison smoke, ceramic fragmentation and blinding dust can be used as well).

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Ba Mian Xuan Feng Tu Wu Hong Lei Pao (八面旋風吐霧轟雷砲)

Drawing of a Ba Mian Xuan Feng Tu Wu Hong Lei Pao, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Ba Mian Xuan Feng Tu Wu Hong Lei Pao (八面旋風吐霧轟雷砲, lit. 'Eight directions tornado mist-spewing roaring thunder cannon/bomb') was a type of swivel-mounted gun, similar to Bai Zi Chong (百子銃), that shot a cast iron explosive shell. It was one of the few Ming cannons that shot explosive shells.

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Shen Wei Lie Huo Ye Cha Chong (神威烈火夜叉銃)

UPDATED MAY 24, 2022

Drawing of a Shen Wei Lie Huo Ye Cha Chong, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

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