Could also be a walkingstick. But the kind which can also be used as a weapon. It's a bit short for me, but it's definitively oriental. People are smaller, so it would fit a Chinese gentleman.
I think it would be a formidable weapon in the hands of a skilled person.
I have a couple of walkingsticks in my collection which are made out of a solid iron rod. This rod is covered in hundreds of small leather rings. This gives a soft feel to the cane. But it's very flexible, like a whip. It would hurt if you get a blow to the head.
