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The Legend about the Battle Array

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The Shahe battle array of soldiers with rattan shields has a long history. It is said that in the late Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng's troop were retreating southward after a defeat in Beijing. One of the soldiers secretly fled to Shilipu Village, where he taught the battle array to villagers for their self defense.

The soldier stressed that "the array should only be passed on to men, never to women or to those from other places". For over 300 years, this rule has been strictly followed in the village and the array has been passed on from generation to generation. So far, a total of 12 generations have been taught the array, with over 200 regular practicers. Currently, the battle array has been included in PE courses in local primary schools.

The Shahe Battle Array of Soldiers with Rattan Shields

The battle array of soldiers with rattan shields is a kind of fighting art in actual combat of ancient China. It is only kept alive in Shilipu Village of Shahe city in China's Hebei Province, where it's called "rattan shield array".

Details

The Material for Making Rattan Shields

The Material for Making Rattan Shields

The main material for making rattan shields is the twigs of the chaste trees often found in Taihang Mountain in North China. To make a shield, you need to soak the twigs to make them soft and tough...