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Fangtian Ji

方天戟 · fāngtiān jǐ

Literally: ji of the square heaven

Also known as: fangtian huaji

A Chinese polearm, ji, with a spear point and crescent blades on both sides, attested from the 11th century; a novel gives it to Lü Bu.

Quick Facts

Martial Arts
OriginChinaChina
Weapon typeBladed polearm
How it worksThrusting, Polearm, Cutting
Period of useMedieval
Original purposeMilitary weapon, Training

About the weapon

Fangtian ji (方天戟), "ji of the square heaven", is a type of Chinese polearm ji. The ji arose as a cross between a spear and a dagger-axe and was used for over 3000 years, from at latest the Zhou dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty, by infantry, cavalry and charioteers. It is translated into English as spear, dagger-axe or halberd. The fangtian ji had a spear point and crescent blades on both sides. It could strike with the side blade, the spear point, and the often-present rear counterweight. The variant fangtian huaji (方天画戟) is attributed to the warrior Lü Bu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Whether this was merely a literary device of the author Luo Guanzhong is unknown. The oldest historical or archaeological evidence of this weapon is in fact only an illustration in the 11th-century military manual Wujing Zongyao. Weapons of the ji type are still practised today in many Chinese martial arts.

Parts of the weapon

  • Point
  • Blade
  • Weight
Further sources on this topic (1)
  1. Ji (polearm) – Wikipedia