Ming Dynasty Chinese Horseback Archery

Mounted Archery was an important discipline in Chinese archery, and scenes of nomadic Jurchen, Khitan, Yuezhi, Xiongnu, Mongolian, Manchu and Han nobles hunting/fighting on horseback are shown prominently in artwork. This is filmed in Inner Mongolia, reenacting mounted archery with Ming Hanfu. Uploaded with permission from Li Zhang of Alibow China has a long history of cavalry archery. Prior to the Warring States period (475–221 BCE ), shooting from chariot was the primary form of battlefield archery. Eventually, horseback cavalry archery replaced chariot archery during the Warring States period. The earliest recorded use of mounted archery by Han Chinese occurred with the reforms of King Wuling of Zhao in 307 BCE. Despite opposition from his nobles, Zhao Wuling’s military reforms included the adoption of archery tactics of the bordering Xiongnu tribes, which meant shooting from horseback and eschewing Han robes in favor of nomadic-