Ai Pai (挨牌)

Front (right) and back (left) view of Ai Pai, from sixteenth century military treatise 'Chou Hai Tu Bian (《籌海圖編》)'.

Ai Pai (挨牌 or 捱牌, lit. 'Leaning shield'), also came to be known as Gao Li Pai (高麗牌, lit. 'Goryeo shield' or 'Korean shield') during late Ming period for reasons unknown, was a large wooden shield made of poplar wood, measuring five chi long and one chi five cun to three chi wide.

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Qi Ji Guang's Yuan Yang Zhen (鴛鴦陣) — Part 3

Large Scale Battle

'Nan Ling Po Shan Kou Tu (《南嶺破山寇圖》)', a drawing from the book 'San Sheng Bei Bian Tu Ji (《三省備邊圖記》)' depicts Ming troops engaging a group of bandits. Swordsmen supported by Lang Xian (狼筅) flanked by two pikemen can be clearly seen at the bottom left of the picture.

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Qi Ji Guang's Yuan Yang Zhen (鴛鴦陣) — Part 2

Variant Formation

The Mandarin Duck Formation was by no means a rigid formation. The treacherous wetlands of Southern China necessitated any military unit to be able to change formation at a moment notice.

Liang Yi Zhen (兩儀陣, lit. 'Two Forms Formation') and Wu Xing Zhen (五行陣, lit. 'Five Elements Formation')

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