The Achang Husa Knife Forging Technique

The Achang Husa Knife Forging Technique is centered in Husa Township, located in the northwest of Longchuan County, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. This craft is specifically concentrated in six Achang villages: Panle, Huzao, Longguang, Xiangjie, Mingshe, and Manbing. With a history spanning over 600 years, the technique originated when Ming Dynasty troops stationed in the region introduced advanced iron-smelting methods to the local Achang people from the Central Plains. Evolving from a military workshop into a refined civilian craft, it was listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006. The process represents a unique synthesis of Han Chinese metallurgical technology and indigenous Achang craftsmanship, renowned for its distinctive heat-treatment techniques, which produce blades renowned for their distinct balance of hardness and flexibility.

Today, far from being mere weapons, Husa knives have evolved into over 120 varieties, ranging from essential farming tools and kitchen utensils to exquisite decorative art pieces. They are cherished by neighboring ethnic groups and have traveled along ancient trade routes to Tibet, Qinghai, and Southeast Asia.