Introduction

This version of Kaiyuan was developed to replace the older version that had been here for over a decade.  It is modified for casual target shooting

The Kaiyuan bow was first recorded in 1599 as a bow used by the border garrison troops of the Ming Empire. It is one of the most popular bows used by the border troops of the Ming. Based on contemporary paintings of this period, the kaiyuan bow is bigger than the previously popular xiaoshao (lit. small siyah) style bows. Therefore it is possibly a transitional form of bow, when the military switched from the light arrow shooting small bows to the heavy arrow shooting big bows.