A shield was also called ââ¬Åganââ¬Â in ancient China. It was used as a battle weapon along with a dagger-axe (or ââ¬Ågeââ¬Â in Chinese), hence the phrase ââ¬Ågan ge xiang jianââ¬Â (gan and ge meets each other), which means to start a war. The earliest shield of China is said to have come into existence way back in the reign of the Yellow Emperor. You can get a sense of what the shield looked like from the unearthed cultural relics of the Shang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, the weapon was renamed ââ¬Åpengpaiââ¬Â and officially called ââ¬Åpaiââ¬Â in the Song Dynasty. The name ââ¬Åpaiââ¬Â was widely used in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, replacing the former name ââ¬Ådunââ¬Â. At some stage in ancient China, bronze and iron shields were also among the items carried by a guard of honor.
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