A sword-making workshop in Songxi County in East China’s Fujian Province. Zhanlu Mountain in southern Songxi, well-known for its long history and strong culture, is said to have been the home to the most revered among top five most famous swords in ancient China. Chinese poets in the Tang and Song dynasties, including Du Fu, Li Bai and Su Shi, penned lines in praise of the Zhanlu swords, nicknamed as the “No. 1 Sword Under the Heaven”. In 1985, local craftsmen went to huge efforts, reading historical literature and working with research institutes in Beijing and Nanjing, to finally craft Zhanlu swords by hand again. Making a Zhanlu sword involves more than 100 time-consuming steps, including forging, quenching and grinding. (Photo: China News Service/Zhang Bin)
A sword-making workshop in Songxi County in East China’s Fujian Province. Zhanlu Mountain in southern Songxi, well-known for its long history and strong culture, is said to have been the home to the most revered among top five most famous swords in ancient China. Chinese poets in the Tang and Song dynasties, including Du Fu, Li Bai and Su Shi, penned lines in praise of the Zhanlu swords, nicknamed as the “No. 1 Sword Under the Heaven”. In 1985, local craftsmen went to huge efforts, reading historical literature and working with research institutes in Beijing and Nanjing, to finally craft Zhanlu swords by hand again. Making a Zhanlu sword involves more than 100 time-consuming steps, including forging, quenching and grinding. (Photo: China News Service/Zhang Bin)
A sword-making workshop in Songxi County in East China’s Fujian Province. Zhanlu Mountain in southern Songxi, well-known for its long history and strong culture, is said to have been the home to the most revered among top five most famous swords in ancient China. Chinese poets in the Tang and Song dynasties, including Du Fu, Li Bai and Su Shi, penned lines in praise of the Zhanlu swords, nicknamed as the “No. 1 Sword Under the Heaven”. In 1985, local craftsmen went to huge efforts, reading historical literature and working with research institutes in Beijing and Nanjing, to finally craft Zhanlu swords by hand again. Making a Zhanlu sword involves more than 100 time-consuming steps, including forging, quenching and grinding. (Photo: China News Service/Zhang Bin)
A sword-making workshop in Songxi County in East China’s Fujian Province. Zhanlu Mountain in southern Songxi, well-known for its long history and strong culture, is said to have been the home to the most revered among top five most famous swords in ancient China. Chinese poets in the Tang and Song dynasties, including Du Fu, Li Bai and Su Shi, penned lines in praise of the Zhanlu swords, nicknamed as the “No. 1 Sword Under the Heaven”. In 1985, local craftsmen went to huge efforts, reading historical literature and working with research institutes in Beijing and Nanjing, to finally craft Zhanlu swords by hand again. Making a Zhanlu sword involves more than 100 time-consuming steps, including forging, quenching and grinding. (Photo: China News Service/Zhang Bin)
Fan Zhihua and his apprentices make swords in Songxi County, East China’s Fujian Province. Zhanlu Mountain in southern Songxi, well-known for its long history and strong culture, is said to have been the home to the most revered among top five most famous swords in ancient China. Chinese poets in the Tang and Song dynasties, including Du Fu, Li Bai and Su Shi, penned lines in praise of the Zhanlu swords, nicknamed as the “No. 1 Sword Under the Heaven”. In 1985, local craftsmen went to huge efforts, reading historical literature and working with research institutes in Beijing and Nanjing, to finally craft Zhanlu swords by hand again. Making a Zhanlu sword involves more than 100 time-consuming steps, including forging, quenching and grinding. (Photo: China News Service/Zhang Bin)
Fan Zhihua and his apprentices make swords in Songxi County, East China’s Fujian Province. Zhanlu Mountain in southern Songxi, well-known for its long history and strong culture, is said to have been the home to the most revered among top five most famous swords in ancient China. Chinese poets in the Tang and Song dynasties, including Du Fu, Li Bai and Su Shi, penned lines in praise of the Zhanlu swords, nicknamed as the “No. 1 Sword Under the Heaven”. In 1985, local craftsmen went to huge efforts, reading historical literature and working with research institutes in Beijing and Nanjing, to finally craft Zhanlu swords by hand again. Making a Zhanlu sword involves more than 100 time-consuming steps, including forging, quenching and grinding. (Photo: China News Service/Zhang Bin)
