Archery Traditions of Asia

Over the centuries, bow and arrow formed a central element in Chinese military affairs, education, hunting, sport and the imperial examination system. Some legends and ancient archaeological finds have revealed that archery had great importance in the cultural life of ancient China.

This exhibition introduces the history of traditional Chinese archery, folklore and rituals of bows and arrows, Qing archery and the military examination, the invention of crossbow, and the construction of traditional bows and arrows. The traditional archery of other Asian countries is also shown in the exhibition. Apart from video presentation, panel texts and graphic illustrations, around 200 historical bows, arrows and figurines related to ancient Chinese and Asian archery are also displayed.