Chinese Miao Dao（苗刀）, end of Qing dynasty

Miao Dao are rather late comers to the family of Chinese swords. They didn't appear until the fall of Qing dynasty (1911). Due to their massive sizes, they often get compared to western two handed swords and Japanese ōdachi. Many of them feature pipe-back design （丁背） with very thick spines and relatively thin blades to significantly reduce weight. Such design is very close to the British 1821 cavalry/infantry sabre which managed to significantly lengthened the blade under the same benefit of weight reduction. This particular model is over 150cm long and weighs only about 1300g witha POB of 11cm!

Two handed swords came and gone in Chinese history. Another period where they got significant uses was the Ming dynasty, famously used in the army of General Qi, Jiguang, who wrote treatises and admit being inspired by Japanese Shinkage-ryū. Miao Dao are similar to those used in the Ming dynasty.

![LK Chen Miaodao](