A craftsman carefully sharpens a Longquan sword. [Photo/WeChat account: ls-mnews]

The Longquan sword, named after its birthplace in Longquan – a county-level city administered by Lishui in East China's Zhejiang province – has played a significant role in the story of Chinese and global weaponry development.

In recent years, Longquan has been focusing on the inheritance and promotion of the traditional sword industry, which dates back some 2,500 years.

There are an estimated 2,400 or so sword stores and manufacturers in Longquan, with an annual output of 3 million swords and daily knifes and tools and an operating income of over 1 billion yuan ($145.91 million).

In order to regulate the market and standardize the supply chain, the city recently issued a plan for a common system for the industry.

The plan features general standards, design and development standards, raw materials and parts standards, process and equipment standards, product and technology standards, inspection and testing standards and service and application standards.

These are expected to promote precision production, brand publicity and the digital marketing of the Longquan sword and daily knife and tool industry. It will also boost its all-round integrated development with culture, tourism and art, according to officials.

The techniques for Longquan sword making were included on China's list of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.