Riding on a log, ice skating, dragging an ice bed... the ancient people's "Winter Olympics" were actually like this!

2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

Attracting the attention of the world

Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xin

certainly

Playing with ice and snow is not exclusive to modern people

While learning about the Winter Olympic Games events,

Do you also know the history of ice and snow sports?

Paleolithic Age: Human skiing originated in Altay, Xinjiang

2005

Archaeologists in Handegat Township, Altay City, Xinjiang

In the boulder cave on the east slope of the Dundebrak River Valley

Human skis discovered

Rock painting of a man holding a single pole while ski hunting

Identified by archaeological experts

This is the earliest archaeological material in the world that reflects the skiing scene

It can be traced back to the late Paleolithic period

Altay is therefore also considered

The origin of human skiing

“

There is a row of 7 people on the rock painting, 4 of whom are following animals such as cattle and horses, 3 of whom are bending over and sticking out their buttocks, holding wooden sticks, which experts and scholars call a single pole, and they are stepping on a long object that looks like a ski board. This rock painting shows the scene of the Altai people skiing and hunting with a single pole.

”

Rock paintings in the mountain stream of the Dundebulak River Valley in Handegat Township, Altay City, Xinjiang

Image source: Complete Works of Western Region Art 1. Rock Paintings, published by Tianjin People's Fine Arts Publishing House

Ancient palace paintings

There is also a record of "Winter Sports Festival"

Sui and Tang Dynasties: Skiing was mostly used for hunting and marching

The Book of Sui: Biography of Northern Di states: "After travelling north for 11 days, the Southern Shiwei tribe arrived at the Northern Shiwei tribe, which was divided into nine tribes. They lived around the Tuhe Mountain... The land was covered with snow, and they were afraid of falling into pits, so they rode on logs. They all hunted minks for a living, and wore fox and marten hats and fish skin clothes."

In today's words

Ethnic minorities living in northeast my country

To facilitate fishing and hunting trips

Self-created "riding on a log" method

Racing and hunting on the snow-covered mountains

actually

As early as the time of Dayu

Written records of skiing in my country

Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of Xia

Dayu traveled around when he was controlling the floods

“

Travel by car on land, by boat on water, by sled on mud, and by pole on mountain

”

According to the "Shiji Zhengyi"

"The sled is shaped like a boat but shorter, with the two ends slightly raised. The person bends one leg and moves on the mud."

Later generations developed and innovated on this basis

Transform it into a tool for walking on ice and snow

It becomes a sled

During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, "brewing tea with snow" and "making snow lions" were winter pleasures.

Song and Yuan Dynasties

Because people's lives are rich

Snow-themed entertainment activities have been extended

Volume 6 of Dreams of the Southern Song Dynasty by Wu Zimu records:

"If the snow falls from the sky, the rich and powerful will hold a banquet, make snow lions and snow mountains, and meet with relatives and friends. They will drink and sing, lean on jade and incense, or ride to the lakeside to see the snowy scenery of the lake and mountains. The jade forests and trees, the green peaks are like jade, and even paintings can't compare to them. When poets and talented men see this scenery, they will brew tea with the snow, recite poems and songs, and sing in unison."

Laxue Sencha

The Yuan Dynasty play "Xiangguo Temple Gongsun He Hanshan" by Zhang Guobin begins with snow appreciation, singing "It is the beginning of winter, and heavy snow is falling all day. My little brother is watching the street from above. He arranged Guo Zhuo to invite us to enjoy the snow and drink." Among them, Zhang Yuanwai's song "Hunjianglong" specifically describes the beauty of the snow scene: "The falling pear blossoms make a silver world, and the flying willow catkins make up a jade world."

Song and Yuan Dynasties

Ice and snow transportation has also appeared in the north

Song Shen Kuo's Mengxi Bitan records:

"Between Xin'an and Cangjing...in winter, a small sitting bed is made and dragged across the ice, which is called a Lingchuang."

In the Southern Song Dynasty's "Wulin Jiushi"

There is also content about the palace playing with snow

Snow lions in various shapes

The protagonist of the man-made landscape

The palace servants would use the "Colored Ropes and Golden Bells"

Decorate on the snow lion

also

It is also equipped with artificial snowflakes, snow lights, etc.

Together, they set off the "lion group"

It is the "green leaf" in the large-scale "art installation"

This kind of fun game

It lasted for a long time

The number of derivatives is also increasing.

During the Qing Dynasty, it was still popular in the palace

During the Qianlong Period

The palace servants not only built snow lions

Also comes with a pile of snow elephants

During the Jiaqing Period

Also added snow horse

All works have both form and spirit

The skills of the people involved in the sculpture

Comparable to today's professional ice sculpture artists

Ming and Qing Dynasties: Nurhaci held the "first ice sports meeting in history"

Records about ice play

It can be traced back to the Sui and Tang Dynasties

then

The Jurchens in the northeast invented a

New skating tool: bamboo horse

People step on bamboo horses

Hockey stick

You can skate freely on the ice

In the Ming Dynasty

Ice skating has evolved into a unique military training program

A special management agency has also been established:

Skate Department

After the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains

Ice and snow sports have developed rapidly in northern China

According to records

Emperor Qianlong loved ice skating

This period

Ice skating reached its peak

Emperor Qianlong also founded

A special skating group called "Skills and Bravery Ice Skate Camp"

Every year from the winter solstice to the "Three Nines"

The ice skating ceremony will be held on Taiye Lake

Ice skates worn by the Eight Banners soldiers

Insert steel strips or sheets under the wooden board

Tie it under your shoes.

Although the ice skates used in ice-playing activities in the Qing Dynasty were simple,

But it includes the prototypes of many modern ice sports

Such as speed skating, figure skating and ice hockey, etc.

There are also many ice acrobatics programs created by the Qing Palace.

Extremely difficult

About the project settings of ice skating

Generally speaking, it can be divided into the following three types:

Speed ​​skating, ice tricks, ice hockey

Detail of Ice Skating

Image source: CCTV.com

1. Speed ​​skating ✦

What is speed skating?

In ancient times, there was a special saying

Called "rush and wait"

The "Emperor's Capital Annual Records" records:

“

The shoes they wear all have iron teeth, and they run on the ice like lightning, competing to be the first to win. This is called ice skating.

”

It means like a gust of wind and lightning.

Win with speed

2. Ice skills ✦

In ancient times, there was a project called

Shoot the sky ball or turn the dragon to shoot the ball

It is "setting up a gate and hanging a flag to practice archery" on the ice.

A clever combination of archery and skating

This project is a game

But it also contains a strong military flavor

Qianlong said that ice skating is "although it is playful, it is also a martial art"

It's not without reason

besides

There are also some other items in ice skills

Such as handstand on ice, pole lifting, pole climbing

Ice martial arts, ice acrobatics, ice multiplayer skills, etc.

And An Lingrong's ice skating in "The Legend of Zhen Huan"

Probably belongs to the category of "figure skating"

3. Cuju on Ice ✦

Cuju on Ice

Also known as Cuju, grab the ball

It's like a rugby game on ice

This is the largest venue with the most participants.

The most competitive project

During the Qing Dynasty

Women also participate in ice and snow sports

There is a project called "Ice Cha"

Use bamboo poles to support the raft and slide on the ice

It was mainly participated by women at that time

According to the Dianshizhai Pictorial in the Qing Dynasty

“

The weather in the capital has been very cold recently. The ice in the moat has accumulated to a thickness of about one foot. Ice rafts are used to go down the river. The men and women of the capital travel back and forth on them, just like flying shuttles. Looking at them in the wind and snow, they look like a picture.

There were three girls in Beihe outside Fucheng Gate. They were hired to go to Xizhi Gate and start the electric star. They were extremely fast.

”

Influenced by the royal family

It turns out that ice and snow sports were popular outside the Great Wall

It quickly became popular among the people in Beijing

Because the river freezes in mid-winter

Canal transport stopped

Trackers make a living

Make your own simple ice bed and start an ice bed towing business

Their ice beds are about the size of a single bed.

Surrounded by curtains or umbrellas

The bed can accommodate two or three people

Most of the people who ride on the ice bed are rich and powerful people or scholars.

Mostly for enjoying the winter snow scenery of Beijing

Simple view

The ice bed is a luxury version of the snowmobile.

The "Huang Qing Zhigongtu" records three dogs pulling the ice bed with all their strength.

Wen Zhao said in "Beijing Bamboo Branch Poems"

“

The long river below the city is frozen solid, the ice bed is still tied with ropes; it is like pulling a flying kite backwards, steadying the duck-billed boat in the south of the Yangtze River

”

It seems so

The ancients were really good at playing with ice and snow

With the advent of the Winter Olympics

More and more people

I also fell in love with ice and snow sports

Let's be passionate

Embrace this ice and snow event!

Comprehensive sources: People's Culture and Tourism, China Meteorological News Agency, Modern Education News, etc.