Collaboration 
Forged 2,600 years ago, the Longquan sword became the first history of China with a sword made of iron. Around the same time, Toledo in Spain became a center for the production of swords: first the Carthaginian commander Hannibal, and then the Romans learned about the quality of steel from this city.
Longquan blacksmiths
The Longquan Sword, one of China's most iconic weapons, is listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The iron sand found in Longquan gives the blades made here a special resilience and strength. Using the unique minerals found in the local rivers, the local blacksmiths still continue to follow the ancient forging process. This is achieved through a complex forging process in which iron is repeatedly heated to remove impurities to eventually become steel.
In ancient times, only the best craftsmen in China became gunsmiths. After hammering with a special knife, the sides of the blade are ground and shaped. Striking the right balance is hard work. The blacksmith uses all his skill to change both the thickness and the angle of the blade. After that, the blade is heated and hardened for the last time, and then polished and decorated.
Hu Xiaojun is one of the most famous blacksmiths and gunsmiths of Longquan. Fascinated by tradition, he revived many of the ancient techniques. His famous «Heavenly Swords» are forged from meteoric iron.
Posting a large piece of meteoric iron, he explains, «It's called the Widmanstatten pattern. It's crystallized iron and nickel after hundreds of millions of years of cooling. It's a complex process.»
The metal that made Toledo famous
Known since Roman times, the quality of Toledo steel made it the center of sword production. The city's blacksmiths spent centuries perfecting the forging process, a secret that made swords from this part of Spain feared and revered throughout the world.
Julio Ramirez is the only blacksmith in town who still makes swords by hand. This is one of the last links in a tradition spanning more than two millennia.
«Toledo Steel» is a technique that consists of welding two layers of steel on the outside, on the cutting edges, and an iron layer on the inside. This results in a very strong and very flexible blade. This is the difference between Toledo steel, which is very resistant to impact, and ordinary steel, which would not stand up. That's the difference,» says Julio.
To achieve both flexibility and strength, Julio hardens the blade by first heating it to around 800 degrees Celsius. Then he cools it in water. This gives the steel strength. Then he puts it back in the furnace at a much lower temperature.
«We have to heat it up again, to about 250 degrees. This will allow us to release the internal stress of the steel, and in this way we will get a more flexible blade», he says.
After forging, Julio and the rest of the staff at Espadas Mariano Zamorano shape, polish and assemble the blades. Tourists are their main customers.
Throughout history, swords have had deep cultural significance, both in Asia and Europe.
But despite the superficial similarities, swords were often not always made and used the same way.
«They look like the same weapon, but they are different weapons,» says Santiago Encinas, director of the Espadas family business. Mariano Zamorano located in Toledo. «The European sword is designed to strike, not to cut.»
More than a weapon
There is an old saying in China that a good dance must have good props. Therefore, dancers in China can often be seen with something in their hands. This reinforces the message they want to convey.
«In China, a sword is both a weapon and more than a weapon,» says Hu Yang, head dancer at the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theatre. «The sword doesn't exist on its own. It's ingrained in our culture,» he says.
Swords are popular because they enhance various emotions and also signify the character's status.»
Hu Yan adds: «Confucius transformed the sword from a weapon of power into an integral part of the image of a noble man from high society. The Chinese poet Li Bai used the sword as a brush to write his poems.» Artistic creativity should be combined with cultural content to show its intellectual side.»
Returning the past
While in China swords still have a symbolic meaning, in Spain they continue to have a practical use. In the splendor of Almodóvar Castle Del Rio, reenactors from across the country regularly bring history back to life.
Medieval combat enthusiasts from Bohurt Zona Sur pay meticulous attention to detail to recreate the past, from combat to armor and weapons.< /p>
«Our armor is based on the Middle Ages, usually between the 14th and 16th centuries. And it's completely authentic. No matter how much experience and training you have, obviously it will help, you will always gain skills as you progress» , — explains one of the members of the group, Samantha Chapman.
Such fights are not a new phenomenon. Even in the old days, nobles and knights trained for fun.
«It's an incredible sport, it pushes you to the limit, and that makes it amazing,» says medieval combat fighter Rafael Maldonado. «It feels like you're doing something historical, with thirty kilos of armor, everything, everything about it is epic.»