Hong Kong Palace Museum | The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Art of Armaments — Qing Dynasty Military Collection from The Palace Museum

4001. Armour and helmet of the Plain Yellow Banner troop & Armour and helmet of the Bordered Yellow Banner troop

Can you notice the difference between these two sets of Eight Banners armour of the Qing dynasty on display? The “Eight Banners” were administrative organisations that integrated military, civilian, and management functions. At their early establishment, the organisations’ flags were of four colours: yellow, white, red, and blue, hence referred to as "Plain Yellow", "Plain White", "Plain Red", and "Plain Blue". As they expanded, Nurhaci established an additional four banners in 1615, during the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty, with flags adorned with red or white borders, known as "Bordered Yellow", "Bordered White", "Bordered Red", and "Bordered Blue", collectively called the "Eight Banners". Therefore, the costumes of different banners were distinguished by both colours and borders.

These two sets of armour were produced in 1756 during the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty, after the emperor established new standards for the Eight Banners armours. Some parts were made of cotton instead of metal, making them lighter and versatile for body movement. According to historical records, by the end of that year, over 18,000 new sets of Eight Banners armour were made in places such as Jiangning, Suzhou, and Hangzhou, and were sent to the Qing court's Armoury for Grand Military Reviews and other military exercises.

4002. Sabrelike knife from Isfahan

Take a look at this saberlike knife from Isfahan, which has the most curved blade in the display case. Its handle features an exquisite animal design, and the gilded copper material is engraved with diamond-like patterns, giving it a brilliant golden appearance. The blade is inscribed with three lines of Persian script, from which a term has been deciphered by scholars to mean “Isfahan”, the capital of the Safavid dynasty during the 16th to 17th centuries, located in present-day Iran. It is speculated that the blade was manufactured in the Middle East.

In 1780, the sixth Panchen Lama came to Beijing and presented this waist knife to the Qianlong Emperor. It was then housed in the Fanzong Lou of the Forbidden City, where the activities related to Tibetan Buddhism were held.

4003. Powder bag with clam hide

This gunpowder pouch is made of two natural clam shells and a gold-plated brass pipe, with black cowhide wrapping the connecting parts. The pouch was crafted with exquisite design and craftsmanship. The smooth surface coupled with the gold-plated brass pipe was designed to ease gunpowder dispensing.

When the Qing army was first established, its military equipment mainly consisted of what were called “cold arms” such as bows, arrows, and swords. Although invincible in field battles, the Qing army carrying these weapons often suffered heavy losses during sieges when facing the Ming army's cannons. After Hong Taiji(1627–1643) ascended to the throne, he vigorously developed firearms and established a Han army to manufacture and drill with them. Various types of firearms gradually became important equipment in the royal armoury. Not only did the emperor use firearms during hunts at the Mulan Paddock, but princes were also required to learn marksmanship. To accommodate the use of firearms, powder pouches became essential equipment, available in a rich variety of styles and materials.

4004. Bone-tipped arrow used in Grand Military Review

Following ancestral teachings, Qing dynasty emperors and Eight Banners members learnt horseback archery from a young age. Court records and paintings depict emperors in armour, carrying quivers and arrows during Grand Military Reviews and autumn hunts. During the Grand Military Reviews, the emperor's quiver would contain a total of twelve arrows: five broad-headed arrows for shooting livestock, five plum-needle arrows for combat, and two bone-tipped arrows for target practice.

On display is a bone-tipped arrow, whose arrowhead is made from animal bone and is primarily used for target practice. This arrowhead features eight holes, allowing the arrow to produce a sound when shot due to the airflow passing through the openings. Hence, it is also referred to as a "whistling arrow", serving as one of the methods for signalling commands.

4005. “Great Victory at Qurman” from the Album of the Pacification of Western Regions

This copperplate engraving is one of the witnesses to the early exchange of artistic and cultural ideas between China and the West. Copperplate engraving refers to the process of creating imagery on a copper plate through techniques such as engraving or acid etching and then printing it on the paper. During the Qing dynasty, battle illustrations were typically presented as illustrations or copperplate engravings. The illustrations were mainly created by court painters using the gongbi painting technique. But who produced the copperplate engravings? This type of print originated in Europe and was introduced by European missionaries.

To commemorate victories in the northwest, the Qianlong Emperor commissioned European missionaries who served in the Qing court, including Italian painter Giuseppe Castiglione, to create sixteen battle illustrations based on pre-existing large paintings. In 1765, during the Qianlong period, the first batch of illustrations was sent to Paris from Guangdong for copperplate production. Then in 1777, after ten rounds of submissions, all sixteen copperplates and 3,200 printed images were delivered. The Qianlong Emperor also ordered the preparation of woodblock prints featuring content such as his own poems to create a battle album that combined traditional woodblock prints with Western copperplate engravings.

During the production period of this set of copperplate engravings, the raw materials and tools for copperplate engraving were also introduced to the Qing court, with European painters responsible for the printing. Later, copperplate engravings of famous battles would be produced within the Qing court.

4006. A Treatise on Coast-defence

In order to re-establish coastal defences and a new naval system in the late Qing dynasty, many officials sought to learn from the book A Treatise on Coast-defence. Written based on the experiences of the American Civil War, the publication emphasised the need for precise design and arrangement of artillery batteries and fortifications to minimise damage from naval cannons while enhancing defensive capabilities.

The area from Guangzhou to Humen in Guangdong was one of the key forts for southern coastal defence in China at that time. The flow of the Pearl River made Guangzhou a model of integrated defences for coastal, river, and citadel protection.

The cannons imported from Europe by the Qing court were placed in locations such as Liede Village and the bustling Ersha Island in present-day Guangzhou city centre, marking the beginning of coastal defence in Guangzhou. Today, while the battery in the city centre no longer exists, one can still find several well-preserved artillery sites by taking a walk in the areas of Huangpu or Panyu.