Archive for category Entertainment
Ancient Football Game – Cuju
Posted by sharon in Entertainment on December 8th, 2009
Cuju, literally means ball kicking, is an ancient Chinese game which is regarded as the origin of present-day football.
Cuju has a long history in China. Legend has that it was invented by the Yellow Emperor, the legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation. He then used it to train his soldiers. However, some believed that it first appeared during the Warring States Period (476-221 BC).
Originally, Cuju was indeed used for military training purpose. Later, it gradually became popular in the royal courts and upper classes. It was commonly played at court feasts in the purpose of the celebration for great events. Generally, it could be a competitive match between two teams with a goal on each side. However, it also could be the single-player or two-player activity and in this way, no goal would be set and only the score decided the winner.
On July 15, 2004, FIFA declared officially to the world on the Third China International Football Exposition that football was originated from China.
Drinking Game – Jiuling
Posted by sharon in Entertainment on October 30th, 2009
Jiuling, as one of the Chinese drinking game, is a kind of game played to add fun while drinking. It is an inseparable part of Chinese alcohol culture.
It has a long history in China which can date back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100 BC-771 BC). Originally, it was used to regulate people’s drinking habits and later during the Warring States Period (476 BC – 221 BC), it evolved to be a way of adding their enjoyment while drinking. It has become quite popular in all ranks of people since the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
The game goes like this: first, a compere will be elected from all the people at the feast to conduct the game. Then, all the people play the game in turns and the one who loses or disobeys the rule of the game has to drink. Sometimes, the game will focus on guessing words or riddles and taking up one’s poems or couplets. Sometimes, the game is just to guess the number of the rolled dice.
Chinese Chess
Posted by sharon in Entertainment on October 16th, 2009
Xiangqi, also known as Chinese Chess in English, is a two-player board game originated in china.
There are many versions about the origin of the game. Some said that it was evolved from an ancient Chinese game called Liubo which was invented about 3,500 years ago; while some believed that it was invented during the Warring States Period (476 -221 BC).
It is a kind of strategic military game simulating a battle between two armies and the object of the game is capturing the enemy’s “general” piece. Originally, it was popular only among the nobles and later in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644AD), it was loved by people from all walks of life. It reached its current form during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD).
The game was also mentioned repeatedly throughout literatures in the Chinese history. The earliest record revealed the game was played in the 4th century BC, by Tian Wen, the Lord of Mengchang for the state of Qi, during the Warring States Period. There are also some old sayings about the game, such as “The onlookers who are watching without telling are true gentlemen”.
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