The myths of Shan Wen Kia

Section of the Ming period scroll painting 'Sou Shan Tu (《搜山圖》)', depicting Chinese war deity Er Lang Shen (二郎神) in a full suit of Shan Wen armour.

The so-called "mountain pattern armour/star scale armour" or Shan Wen Kia (which is a misspelling, correct Pinyin should be Shan Wen Kai or Shan Wen Jia) was a type of scale armour that was (almost) unique to China. However, like many ancient Chinese military equipment, it is shrouded in mysteries and misconceptions. 

In this blog post, I will attempt to clear up some misconceptions regarding mountain pattern armour.

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San Yan Chong (三眼銃)

A typical San Yan Chong.

Perhaps the most iconic handheld firearm of Ming army, San Yan Chong (三眼銃, lit. 'Three-eyed gun') was an iron handgonne that had three short barrels arranged in a triangular layout. It allowed the gunner to discharge three shots in quick succession before needing to reload, thereby compensating for its short range and lack of accuracy somewhat. San Yan Chong was the preferred firearm of Northern cavalry, particularly those from Liaodong Defense Region.

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Fei Meng Pao (飛礞砲)

Drawing of a Fei Meng Pao, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Fei Meng Pao (飛礞砲, lit. 'Flying lapis stone cannon') was a type of handgonne that shot a small iron canister grenade instead of the usual stone or lead ball. It can be considered a primitive predecessor to hand mortar and grenade launcher.

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