"reclining moon blade"), the name under which it always appears[citation needed] in texts from the Song to Qing dynasties such as the Wujing Zongyao and Huangchao Liqi Tushi.

It is said that he specified its form and size to be made by a smithy and was uniquely able to wield such an imposing weapon due to his large stature and legendary strength.

Guan Yu's guandao was called "Green Dragon Crescent Blade" (青龍偃月刀, Qīnglóng yǎnyuèdāo) and weighed 82 Chinese jin.

While some historians still contend that the guandao was simply an uncommon weapon prior to the Tang dynasty and was thus not illustrated before then, historical evidence leans towards the attribution being an instance of creative license.

Apart from that, the lack of standardization of the antique examples that survive to today seems to indicate that at least from the 19th century onwards it was popular in the civilian martial arts realm as well.

Tassels and cloths are attached to numerous weapons such as jian, dao, meteor hammer, and guandao used in Chinese opera, one of the sources of movements found in contemporary Wushu.

Forms utilizing the weapon in nearly all traditional styles of Chinese martial arts emphasize strong slashing movements and momentum to keep the heavy blade moving through a series of spinning cuts.