Guandao
Type of pole weapon
偃月刀 · 언월도
- Type
- pole weapon, weapon
- Place of origin
- China
A guandao is a type of Chinese polearm that is used in some forms of Chinese martial arts. In Chinese, it is properly called a yanyuedao (偃月刀; lit. "reclining moon blade"), the name under which it appears in texts such as the Wujing Zongyao and Huangchao Liqi Tushi. It consists of a heavy blade with a spike at the back and sometimes also a notch at the spike's upper base that can catch an opponent's weapon. In addition, there are often irregular serrations that lead the back edge of the blade to the spike. The blade is mounted atop a 1.5 to 1.8 m (4 ft 11 in to 5 ft 11 in) long wooden or metal pole and a pointed metal counterweight on the opposite end, which is used to balance the heavy blade and for striking.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q1191706 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.