Royal bow and arrow making technique, intangible cultural heritage inheritor

Yang Fuxi

Yang Fuxi is the only inheritor of the royal bow and arrow making technique, and also the tenth generation sole inheritor of the "Juyuanhao" bow and arrow.

Yang Fuxi is a charming and elegant man, and also a traditional archery enthusiast. In his youth, he possessed the incredible skill to pull a bow weighing over 200 jin (approximately 100 kg). He once replicated massive ancient siege archery machines for film crews and museums. Chatting with him, he pointed out several errors in the bow and arrow in the Qianlong Hunting Painting and explained the combat significance of the deer antler thumb ring and the waterproof function of the bow and arrow, which was very humorous and interesting!

Founded in 1720, Beijing's "Juyuanhao" was once the imperial arsenal of the Qing Dynasty. Over the years, the "Juyuanhao" bow and arrow shop has a history of nearly 300 years.

In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, Yang Duanlin took over "Juyuanhao" for 40 silver dollars, becoming the eighth-generation successor of "Juyuanhao". From then on, "Juyuanhao" began to be passed down in the Yang family. The Yang family's Juyuanhao bows and arrows have won international awards and were also presented as gifts to Chairman Mao.

Due to historical reasons, Juyuanhao ceased bow and arrow production in 1957 and switched to woodworking. This situation continued until 1998, when Yang Fuxi, the tenth-generation successor of Juyuanhao, inherited the family business and took over Juyuanhao again, becoming the only inheritor of traditional Chinese bow and arrow making today.

As the only inheritor of the traditional Chinese royal bow and arrow making technique, where does the road lead?

Master Zhao Qingtao and Teacher Yang Fuxi