Channel: The History Channel on TrueVisions (A23) and (D48)
Telecast date: Sunday, November 16, 2008
Telecast Time: 9.00 p.m. (Thai)
Historians have lionized thebattlefield technology of the ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians for centuries. Yet, as this program reveals, in the East there is an extraordinary array of weaponry that has been overlooked by the history books: the war machines of ancient China.
Drawing upon the latest 3-D graphics, new historical evidence and the testimony of leading experts, this episode takes us on an incredible journey back to a time when China was a patchwork of states all vying for military supremacy. Few today realize that it was the Chinese who invented a mixture that was to forever change how wars are fought…. gunpowder. In the tenth century the Chinese combined saltpetre, sulphur to create a substance that allegedly powered flame throwers and ancient rockets.
Fifteen hundred years ago the ancient Chinese were the military superpower of the East — a regime with access to the world’s first bombs, missiles and cannons. From automated crossbows able to fire ten bolts at once to siege machines able to fire over 3000 yards, we uncover the secrets of China’s most awe-inspiring weaponry. Amongst many fascinating stories, we uncover insights into the legendary rotating crossbow and the Cloud Bridge Siege Engine that was used to transport hundreds of troops to the battlefield.
This program recreates some of China’s legendary battlefield creations — such as swords and crossbows— to see how the designs would have fared in combat. In one of the most memorable sequences, Richard Windley, a leading model-maker, recreates an explosive Chinese flamethrower.