It was a rush visit and it was also very hot that day, all that combined with a spate of tiredness, I was in no fit state to really appreciate what was there or ask many questions, but at least I managed to get some photos. Maybe we'll visit again one day, when I need to buy a new sword. The museum is actually in Kaohsiung County and we travelled from Tainan in a friend's car to get there. It is newly opened and features knives and other paraphernalia from Taiwan's aboriginal tribes on the ground/first floor and upstairs has the Chinese weapons.
The swords and other weapons featured below are all typical of the late Qing dynasty and earlier. Yang Luchan and his son Yang Banhou, who are said to have both been in the employ of the imperial household, would NOT have used or carried any of these weapons at work [without a special exemption license] as non-Manchurians were banned from carrying them on the punishment of death. Weapons would have only been practiced in secret during early times, public display of weapons by Chinese martial artists is a twentieth century manifestation.
Yang Luchan is said to have been requested to work as a bodyguard and or martial arts trainer in one of the households of the many princes that lived outside of the Forbidden City walls. Previous to that he was in the employ of a wealthy merchant family in Beijing. I seriously doubt that he was formally involved in the training of the Imperial Guard as is suggested in some quarters.
2 comments:
Yes, living in southern Taiwan, I had been there, in his shop and museum. Met him personally in his forge with my teacher, had a nice chat and a good seafood meal in Jieding harbour. Though highly decorated, Master Guo is criticly discussed by other mastersmiths, and even his steel cuts iron, I personally would prefer the works of other manufactures.
I will visit Taiwan again next year.
I would like to know of these other mastersmiths.
Of course Guo is the most famous.
my mail is tai19821982@yahoo.co.uk
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