Some Chinese Han people think they can't play any sport if they wear a Hanfu. But I can't agree with them. Actually ancient Chinese play football since from 3rd century BC. In ancient China, people call football "Cuju " (蹴鞠
or 蹴踘) .
Cuju (Chinese: 蹴鞠; Mandarin Pinyin: cùjú;
Jyutping: Cuk1
guk1; literally "kick ball", pronounced [tsʰûtɕy̌])
is an ancient code of football
with similarities to association
football. It is seen by some to be a forerunner of modern football and originated in China, and was also played
in Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
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| Cute football for ladies and kids |
The game of cuju was first mentioned in the Zhan Guo Ce (under State of Qi's section) and
later in the Sima Qian's
Shiji (under Su Qin's biography),
written during the Han Dynasty.Some claim that the Yellow Emperor invented
the game for military training purposes, while others place its emergence
during China's Warring States
Period (476-221 BC). In any case, it certainly existed during this
period. A competitive form of
cuju was used as fitness training for military cavaliers, while other
forms were played for entertainment in wealthy cities like Linzi.
During the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), the popularity of cuju spread
from the army to the royal courts and upper classes. It is said that the Han emperor Wu Di enjoyed
the sport. At the same time, cuju games were standardized and rules were
established. Football matches were often held inside the imperial palace. A
type of court called ju chang was built especially for cuju matches,
which had six crescent-shaped goal posts at each end.
The sport was
improved during the Tang Dynasty
(618-907). First of all, the
feather-stuffed ball was replaced by an air-filled ball with a two-layered
hull. Also, two different types of goal posts emerged: One was made by setting
up posts with a net between them and the other consisted of just one goal post
in the middle of the field. The Tang Dynasty capital of Chang'an was filled with
cuju football fields, in the backyards of large mansions, and some were
even established in the grounds of the palaces.
Soldiers who belonged to the imperial army and
Gold Bird Guard often formed cuju football teams for the delight of the emperor
and his court. The level of
female cuju teams also improved. Records indicate that once a 17-year-old girl beat
a team of army soldiers. Cuju football even became popular amongst the scholars
and intellectuals, and if a courtier lacked skill in the game, he could pardon
himself by acting as a scorekeeper.
Cuju flourished
during the Song Dynasty
(960-1279) due to social and economic development, extending its popularity to
every class in society. At that time, professional cuju players were quite
popular, and the sport began to take on a commercial edge. Professional cuju
players fell into two groups: One was trained by and performed for the royal
court (unearthed copper mirrors and brush pots from the Song often depict
professional performances) and the other consisted of civilians who made a living
as cuju players.
One Hundred Children in the Long Spring
(长春百子图),
a painting by Chinese artist Su Hanchen (苏汉臣,
active 1130–1160s AD), Song Dynasty
In the Song Dynasty only one goal post was set
up in the center of the field. Cuju organizations were set up in large cities
called Qi Yun She or Yuan She – now known as the earliest professional cuju
club – whose members were either cuju lovers or professional performers.
Non-professional players had to formally appoint a professional as his or her
teacher and pay a fee before becoming a member. This process ensured an income
for the professionals, unlike cuju of the Tang Dynasty.
The following image is a Song Dynasty's football. Is real looks like modern time's football.
In the 10th century, a Cuju club Qi Yun She (齐云社）
developed in China; every year there was a national championship Shan Yue Zheng
Sai (山岳正赛)
organised by Qi Yun She.
The right image is a traditional Chinese painting. We can see a Ming Emperor who was watching an imperial football games. The football players wore Ming Dynasty Hanfu "Sa Zi".
