For the purposes of combat, the saber gradually replaced the sword, which by the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220) was only an ornament worn at one's side. Still later the sword came to a play a role in Daoist ceremony.
刀的崛起，逐漸取代劍在歷史舞台上的角色，東漢以後，劍僅剩佩飾功能。