[Archive] Wei Yuan Pao (威遠砲) (Patreon)

Note: This is an outdated version of my article about Wei Yuan Pao, kept here for archival purpose. Current version of the same article can be read here.

Although locally deveopled Chinese cannons were largely being supplanted by the more advanced European design by sixteenth century, the Chinese did not stop improving their own cannons just yet. The Wei Yuan Pao (威遠砲, lit. "Awe-inspiring long range cannon") is a mid to late Ming Dynasty design that aims to lighten the bulky Da Jiang Jun Pao (大將軍砲) while retaining much of its firepower. It also incorporates an iron sight similar to that of a matchlock gun to improve accuracy.

A cannon presumed to be a Wei Yuan Pao (leftmost) alongside three Mie Lu Pao (滅虜砲), Great Wall Museum, Badaling, China.

A Korean copy of Wei Yuan Pao known as Wiwonpo (위원포).

Wei Yuan Pao is welded from multiple strips of iron bend into cylindrical shape, similar to how a musket barrel is forged (although later models appear to have transitioned to cast iron instead). A typical Wei Yuan Pao only weighs about one hundred and twenty to forty catties, while the heaviest variant weighs only two hundred catties, lighter than the smallest variant of Da Jiang Jun Pao. It is typically loaded with a three catties and six taels lead ball together with one hundred smaller three or four mace lead balls.