The Qing Bow (Manchu Bow) and Its Traditional Shooting Form
The Qing Bow (Manchu Bow) and Its Traditional Shooting Form Structure, Design, Battlefield Function, and the Draw Weights of Imperial Qing Bows
MING YE
9/28/20266 min read
The Qing Bow (Manchu Bow) and Its Traditional Shooting Form
Structure, Design, Battlefield Function, and the Draw Weights of Imperial Qing Bows
The Qing bow, commonly known internationally as the Manchu bow, was a distinctive form of traditional Chinese composite bow associated with the Manchus and widely used during the Qing dynasty.
One of its most recognizable features is its large overall size. The bow has long, recurved tips, with prominent string bridges near the base of the tips. Its body was traditionally constructed from a combination of materials such as horn, wood or bamboo, and animal sinew. Structurally, it therefore belongs to the family of horn-sinew composite recurve bows.
This design made it possible to construct bows with substantial draw weights and to use them effectively with relatively heavy arrows. In military use, the combination of a powerful bow and heavy arrow could produce considerable penetration and destructive force at practical combat distances.
The Manchu Bow and the Earlier Jurchen Archery Tradition
The Qing or Manchu bow is closely associated with the earlier archery traditions of the Jurchens, including those of the Jin dynasty.
The bow was characterized by its large dimensions, long tips, and an emphasis on delivering heavy arrows effectively.
Compared with other traditions of Chinese archery, the Manchu bow developed a distinctive mechanical and tactical character.
Rather than being designed primarily around maximum arrow speed or long-range efficiency, its design was particularly well suited to the use of large, heavy arrows at comparatively short combat distances.
This was closely connected with the tactical environment in which Manchu archery developed.
A heavier arrow generally leaves the bow at a lower velocity than a lighter arrow. At shorter distances, however, the loss of velocity and kinetic energy during flight is more limited. With an appropriate bow and arrow combination, the result can be substantial momentum and penetrating ability.
The Qing military could therefore employ archery tactically at ranges where the characteristics of the Manchu bow and heavy arrow could be used effectively.
Structure of the Manchu Bow
The Manchu bow is symmetrical around its center.
Moving outward from the middle toward either end, its principal components are:
grip → bow limb → string bridge → bow tip
The grip was made of wood and could be covered with other materials for comfort, durability, and decoration.
The limbs contained a wooden or bamboo core. Horn—commonly cattle horn, and in some cases other horn material—was applied to the belly of the bow, while animal sinew was attached to the back. Deer sinew could also be used.
The string bridges could be made from bone or wood.
The long bow tips were wooden and could incorporate horn pieces for reinforcement.
Manchu bowstrings could be made from several different materials, including hide, silk, and sinew.
This combination of different organic materials made the Manchu bow a sophisticated composite weapon.
Each material performed a different mechanical function: horn resisted compression, sinew resisted tension, and the wooden or bamboo core provided the structural foundation joining the components together.
Why Is the Manchu Bow So Large?
One of the most immediately recognizable characteristics of the Manchu bow is its size.
The bow has:
a large overall body, unusually long tips, reinforced tip sections, and prominent string bridges.
These characteristics were not merely decorative.
The large bow allowed the limbs to transfer energy to the arrow over a substantial distance while limiting excessive deformation in individual parts of the limb.
The long tips increased leverage during the draw and were particularly suitable for the use of heavy arrows.
Reinforcing pieces within the tips increased structural strength while helping control their mass.
The unusually prominent string bridges are another characteristic feature of the Manchu bow.
Although they add some mass and mechanical load to the bow, the bridges help control the string and reduce the impact of the string against the limbs. They also influence the bow's force-draw behavior as the string moves away from and returns toward the bridges.
Together, these features produced the distinctive appearance and shooting characteristics of the Manchu bow.
A Bow Designed for Heavy Arrows
The Manchu bow should be understood in the context of the military environment in which it developed.
Its large structure was particularly well suited to heavy arrows and powerful shooting at practical battlefield ranges.
This helps explain why simply comparing the Manchu bow with other bows according to arrow speed can be misleading.
A lighter and faster arrow may have advantages in range and trajectory.
A heavy arrow fired from a powerful composite bow, however, can offer different advantages, particularly when penetration and impact at shorter ranges are important.
The Manchu bow therefore represents a specific solution to a specific military requirement.
Its distinctive form was closely connected with the tactical traditions of Manchu mounted and military archery.
The Manchu Bow as One of the Most Recognizable Chinese Bow Types
The appearance of the Manchu bow is highly distinctive.
Its long recurved tips and large string bridges make it immediately recognizable among traditional Eurasian composite bows.
During the Qing dynasty, bows of this general tradition were used in military training, hunting, imperial archery, and Banner martial culture.
Because large numbers of Qing-period bows have survived in museums and private collections, the Manchu bow is also one of the best-known surviving forms of traditional Chinese bow.
It is therefore important not only as a weapon but also as material evidence for the military and cultural history of the Qing dynasty.
How Powerful Were Qing Imperial Bows?
The book Qinggong Wubei (清宫武备, Military Equipment of the Qing Palace) records a number of bows associated with Qing emperors.
Some entries also record the bows' strength using the traditional unit li (力).
According to the calculation used in the source, one li was equivalent to nine jin and fourteen liang under the Qing system.
Since one Qing jin contained sixteen liang, and the calculation takes one Qing jin as approximately 598.4 grams, one li is calculated as approximately:
5.9092 kilograms, or approximately 13.03 pounds.
Using that conversion, the recorded imperial bows can be expressed approximately as follows.
Kangxi Emperor — Imperial Birch-Bark Bow No. 1
Recorded on page 31 of Qinggong Wubei.
Owner: Kangxi Emperor
Length: 178.5 cm
Recorded strength: 11 li
Qing weight equivalent: 108.625 jin
Metric equivalent: approximately 65 kg
Pound equivalent: approximately 143.3 lb
This is the heaviest of the imperial bows listed here.
Kangxi Emperor — Imperial Birch-Bark Bow No. 2
Also recorded on page 31.
Owner: Kangxi Emperor
Length: 178.5 cm
Recorded strength: 7.5 li
Qing weight equivalent: 74.0625 jin
Metric equivalent: approximately 44.319 kg
Pound equivalent: approximately 97.7 lb
Qianlong Emperor — Imperial Horn and Golden Peach-Bark Bow
Recorded on page 34.
Owner: Qianlong Emperor
Length: 177 cm
Recorded strength: 3 li
Qing weight equivalent: 29.625 jin
Metric equivalent: approximately 17.728 kg
Pound equivalent: approximately 39 lb
Shunzhi Emperor — Imperial Decorated Birch-Bark Bow
Recorded on page 101.
Owner: Shunzhi Emperor
Length: 178 cm
Recorded strength: 7 li
Qing weight equivalent: 69.125 jin
Metric equivalent: approximately 41.364 kg
Pound equivalent: approximately 91.19 lb
Yongzheng Emperor — Imperial Birch-Bark Bow
Recorded on page 105.
Owner: Yongzheng Emperor
Length: 179 cm
Recorded strength: 4.5 li
Qing weight equivalent: 44.4375 jin
Metric equivalent: approximately 26.56 kg
Pound equivalent: approximately 58.62 lb
Qianlong Emperor — Imperial Jiqing Brocade Bow
Recorded on page 106.
Owner: Qianlong Emperor
Length: 179 cm
Recorded strength: 5.5 li
Qing weight equivalent: 54.3125 jin
Metric equivalent: approximately 32.5 kg
Pound equivalent: approximately 71.65 lb
Qianlong Emperor — Imperial Black-Horn Birch-Bark Bow
Recorded on page 107.
Owner: Qianlong Emperor
Length: 178 cm
Recorded strength: 7 li
Qing weight equivalent: 69.125 jin
Metric equivalent: approximately 41.364 kg
Pound equivalent: approximately 91.19 lb
Xianfeng Emperor — Imperial Golden Peach-Bark Bow
Recorded on page 108.
Owner: Xianfeng Emperor
Length: 177 cm
Recorded strength: 5 li
Qing weight equivalent: 49.375 jin
Metric equivalent: approximately 29.546 kg
Pound equivalent: approximately 65.14 lb
What Do These Imperial Bows Tell Us?
The surviving records illustrate the considerable range of draw strengths found among bows associated with Qing emperors.
Among the examples listed above, the calculated figures range from approximately 39 pounds to more than 143 pounds.
The Kangxi bow recorded at eleven li is especially striking, with the conversion used in the source producing a figure of approximately 143 pounds.
These figures should not be interpreted to mean that every Qing or Manchu bow possessed an exceptionally high draw weight. Different bows could be produced for different users and purposes, including military practice, hunting, training, ceremonial use, and imperial collections.
What these examples do demonstrate is that the Manchu bow tradition was capable of accommodating bows of substantial strength.
The bow's large dimensions, long tips, composite horn-wood-sinew construction, prominent string bridges, and use with heavy arrows were all interconnected elements of a distinctive archery system.
For that reason, the Qing bow is more than simply a visually unusual traditional bow.
It reflects a particular understanding of bow design, arrow mass, shooting technique, and battlefield requirements that formed an important part of Manchu martial culture and the military traditions of the Qing dynasty.
BY：MING YE