Rich tapestry of sporting events in China

Jianqiu, or shuttlecockkicking

Also known by other names such shuttlecock or feather ball, jianqiu is a traditional game popular among the Dong, Miao and Shui minorities in Southern China. Players aim to keep a heavily weighted shuttlecock in the air by using their bodies, not their hands, mainly by kicks. The game is played on a court similar to badminton between two opposing teams each with three players. One team scores a point by striking a shuttlecock with their body so that it passes over the net and lands on opposing team's court. The team earning 15 points first wins a set of the-best -of-three-set game.

Tibetan tug-of-war

Yajia is the Tibetan version of tug-of-war, which has been played for more than 100 years by the Tibetan people in the autonomous region. Similar to common tug-of-war contests, yajia also features two teams, but in traditional Tibetan costumes, testing their strength by pulling against each other on opposite ends of a rope.

Two teams start with a center line on the rope directly above a center line on the ground. The team that drags opposing side forward 1 meter wins the contest.

Dawazi, or tightrope walking

Tightrope walking, or dawazi in Uygur, is a traditional acrobatic performance and sports event with a history of nearly 2,000 years.

Performers maintain their balance while walking along a tensioned wire between two points, using a balancing tool - umbrella, fan, pole, - or freehand. The most famous Uygur tightrope walker is Adili Wuxor, who set a Guinness World Record in 2010 for the longest period of tightrope walking at 198 hours and 33 minutes after spending 60 days living and walking on a rope across the National Stadium in Beijing.

Wooden ball

Wooden ball is a smaller version of field hockey played by the Hui minority.

The game is played on a rectangular court, 40 meters long and 25 meters wide, with two teams of five players hitting a round wooden ball with flat sticks and trying to score in opposing side's goal.

One game will last for 40 minutes, 20 for each half, with a 10-minute half-time break.

The game requires both excellent individual skills and teamwork.

(China Daily European Weekly 11/28/2014 page25)