The bang (pronounced bahng) is perhaps the most basic of ancient Chinese weapons. It is a long staff-like cudgel made of wood or steel. It is used in Chinese martial arts and is a lethal weapon in skilled hands.
Shen Yun’s Wu Song Battles the Tiger, inspired by the classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh, is one of the most famous stories in which the bang is used. Unfortunately, Wu Song’s bang breaks and he is left unarmed facing the ferocious tiger. But have no fear—Wu Song just kills the tiger with his bare hands instead.
In Journey to the West, the Monkey King wields a golden bang that had previously been a giant pillar used to prop up the sea. In the novel, the bang weighs thousands of pounds, and yet it can be shrunk up behind the Monkey King’s ear or transformed into anything he wants.
