Rocket carts of the Ming Dynasty

IMPORTANT UPDATE NOVEMBER 15, 2024, minor update MAY 20, 2026

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 subsequent redesigns reduced the number of rockets to make the cart more mobile.

Huo Jian Che (火箭車, rocket cart)

Drawing of a Huo Jian Che, from 'Si Zhen San Guan Zhi (《四鎮三關志》)'.

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Unique weapon of the Ming Dynasty — Yi Wo Feng (一窩蜂)

MINOR UPDATE JANUARY 4, 2024

Yi Wo Feng (一窩蜂, lit. 'Nest of bees')

Drawing of a Yi Wo Feng, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

The famous Nest of Bees was a thirty-two shot multiple rocket launcher. Although often lauded as the "first handheld multiple rocket launcher", the Nest of Bees was in fact a wagon-mounted weapon. Unlike most other Chinese multiple rocket launchers that used smaller rockets, Nest of Bees carried thirty-two full sized Shen Ji Jian (神機箭) rockets, and had a maximum range of three hundred paces.

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Unique weapon of the Ming Dynasty — Huo Long Chu Shui (火龍出水)

Drawing of a Huo Long Chu Shui, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Huo Long Chu Shui (火龍出水, lit. 'Fire Dragon Out of the Water') was perhaps the most well-known of ancient Chinese weapons. It was often hailed as the first ever multistage rocket as well as cluster munition rocket.

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