Axe, knew as Fu or Yue in Chinese language, is one of the earliest weapon appeared in history. Axes made from ground stone can be traced back to Neolithic. In the legendary Huangdi period (3,000 BC), axe was no only a weapon for battle but associated with decapitation of prisoners.
During Shang Dynasty (1,600 BC), the bronze axe appeared and many elaborate axes were decorated with intricate texture, which suggested that Shang axe had already possessed the character of religious significance and signal of exalted status. The grinning and leering faces on these axes indicated they were adopted in human sacrifice.
After Zhou Dynasty (1000 BC), as the popularity of sword and blade, the main usage of axe shifted to ceremonial implement. Though axe was not a main-steam weapon anymore, each dynasty still has some axe-practicers, especially for the ethnic groups in northern part of China. The military documents of Song Dynasty listed broad axe and phoenix-head axe, both of that had become standard weapon from Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty. The Mongol warriors of Yuan Dynasty were fond of hand axe, broad axe and giant broad axe. The Qing military preferred dual axe. It has a short haft and a narrow axe head, enabling agilely wielding on battlefield.
For a long time, there was not practice routine for axe. Therefore, the only way to use axe in battle was slash. Until Han Dynasty, the southern Barbarians created the first axe routine and later it was introduced to Central Plain. After centuries' development, the routine eventually consisted of 36 actions and passed down to nowadays.
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