Co Loa Crossbow: Legend Confirmed

The weapon described as being capable of firing ten thousand arrows at once is not only a legend but also a historical entity of great value.

Timeless inventions and impressive experiments

Senior Lieutenant General, Academician Nguyen Huy Hieu, Hero of the People's Armed Forces, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Deputy Minister of National Defense and engineer Vu Dinh Thanh spent many years researching and restoring the magic crossbow.

They have provided much evidence showing that the crossbow is associated with the special structure of Co Loa citadel and the feats of the Vietnamese people in the early stages of nation building.

Senior Lieutenant General, Academician, Doctor, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Huy Hieu; Lieutenant General, Professor, Doctor Nguyen Dinh Chien; Colonel, Professor, Doctor Le Dinh Sy; Colonel, Professor, Doctor Vu Tang Bong; archer Pham Quang Minh and engineer Vu Dinh Thanh shoot the reconstructed crossbow. (Photo: NVCC)

In 2022, engineer Vu Dinh Thanh was granted an exclusive patent by the Ministry of Science and Technology for the invention "Crossbow that shoots many arrows, the force of the crossbow acts on the quiver, inside the quiver there are many small arrows".

Engineer Thanh said that the ability to shoot multiple arrows at once is just one of two remarkable inventions. The crossbow's lethal principle is to take advantage of the Earth's gravitational force, helping the arrow fall at the highest speed when hitting the ground, thereby causing strong damage at a long distance.

Engineer Thanh and his colleagues conducted an experiment to shoot a reconstructed crossbow from a height of 15m, with the result that the bronze arrow penetrated a 5cm thick wooden board.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu emphasized that during the resistance war against the US, artillery shelling nails from a height of 30m had great destructive power, proving that the crossbow could destroy the enemy from a long distance.

Archaeological exploration and celebration of national identity

Engineer Vu Dinh Thanh’s assertions are not only based on theory and experimentation but are also reinforced by important archaeological evidence. In the Co Loa citadel area, archaeologists discovered tens of thousands of bronze arrows dating back more than 2,300 years, along with a bronze arrow casting workshop that is almost intact on an area of about 1,000 m².

Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu recorded that Co Loa citadel was towering, and that bronze arrows found by archaeologists dropped from above pierced iron armor. (Photo: NVCC)

In June 2024, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu and engineer Vu Dinh Thanh presented the report " Restoring the An Duong Vuong crossbow contributes to identifying the true value of the first era of nation building" at the first National History Conference with the theme "Research on national territorial sovereignty according to the orientation of a comprehensive and holistic approach to Vietnamese history".

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu has repeatedly emphasized: "The magic crossbow that killed thousands of enemies and the hundreds of meters high Co Loa citadel are historical facts, not just legends."

Engineer Vu Dinh Thanh said that in the near future, he and his colleagues are completing a crossbow capable of firing 200 arrows at the same time. The ultimate goal is to successfully recreate a crossbow that can shoot 10,000 bronze arrows as described in the legend, to prove that the magic crossbow is real.

From archaeology, physics, genetics to history, there is increasing evidence that the military technology of the ancient Vietnamese was very advanced.

If the secret of the “Co Loa crossbow” is deciphered and clearly confirmed, this will not only shed light on a period of history but also arouse national pride in the intelligence, bravery and creativity of our ancestors.

Ha An

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/no-than-co-loa-huyen-thoai-duoc-khang-dinh-ar962403.html