Today, the Qiang, or spear, is an event in the sport of Wushu. But in ancient Chinese times, the Qiang was a common weapon in the battlefield.

The Qiang is one of the four major weapons, along with the Gun (staff), Dao (sabre), and the Jian (sword), called in this group "The King of Weapons".

The Qiang commonly features a leaf-shaped blade and red horse-hair tassel lashed just below. It is said tassel aids in blurring the vision of the opponent so that it is more difficult for them to grab the shaft of spear behind the head or tip.

The tassel also served as a way to stop the flow of blood from the blade getting to the wooden shaft since the blood would make it slippery, or sticky when dried.

The length of a Qiang is generally around 7 feet (2 meters). It is commonly used by the Chinese infantry.

However, its length can be increased up to 13 feet (4 meters). This longer version is preferred by cavalry men.

A Qiang is typically made of wax wood, a strong but flexible wood. It bends to absorb impact preventing breakage. The bending motion combined with the horse hair tassel makes the spear tip very hard to follow.

Although most Chinese spears are about 2 meters long and have one spear head, shorter versions of the spear used in pairs or double-headed spears used singly or in pairs exist as well.