By the Ming Dynasty, cotton armor was widely used in the army, which was light and better suited to a war of firearms. When making the cotton suit, cotton was hammered repeatedly and then fastened with nail fasteners.
Qing Dynasty, however, was a period with the most significant changes in the development of ancient martial attire. The Manchu, as the ruling people, made their own reforms of the Han military wear. The use of guns and cannons lead further to this transformation. The Qing Dynasty armor suits were divided into coat of mail and weishang. On each shoulder of the coat of mail, there is a protective shoulder pad, under which there is an armpit guard. In addition, metal chest plates were attached on front and back, and a trapezoid shaped belly protector was added as well. The left side of the body is protected, while the right remains open for carrying bow and arrows. The double width weishang was used to protect tile sides, fastened around the waist when needed. Helmets, whether made of iron or cattle hide, were painted on the surface. On all four sides of the helmet, there were vertical ridges, a brow protector and metal tubing for attaching the decorativefeather, tassel or animal fur. A protective silk collar is attached for shielding the neck and the ears, decoratedwith fine embroidery and metal tacks. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, army uniform for the navy, the infantry and the police patrol already had distinct Western features.
