The members of China's first women's field hockey team reunite in the Nierji town of the Daur Autonomous Banner of Morin Dawa, known as the "Hometown of Field Hockey in China", on July 3. [Photo by Jiang Xiwu/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The members of China's first women's field hockey team reunited in the Nierji town of the Daur Autonomous Banner of Morin Dawa in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on July 3.

On the day, they recalled the good times in the past and played a friendly match, spending a good time in the fun.

Daur Autonomous Banner of Morin Dawa is known as the "Hometown of Field Hockey in China". Field hockey has been developed there for nearly a thousand years and has become the pride and symbol of the Daur people.

Field hockey, as called "Beikuo" in the Daur language, is a traditional sport with a long history.

The members of China's first women's field hockey team play a friendly match on July 3. [Photo by Jiang Xiwu/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Two men compete skills at a field hockey competition held in the Daur Autonomous Banner of Morin Dawa. [Photo by Jiang Xiwu/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

According to historical data, a sport called "hitting a ball while walking", which is similar to the present sport of field hockey, was very popular in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). But it gradually disappeared. It is fortunate that such a field hockey tradition has been inherited from one generation to another in the Daur regions.

In 1976, the first national field hockey team was founded in the banner, filling in the gap in China's list of national sports. Four years later, the country's first women's field hockey team was officially established.

There, children as young as a few years old, as old as 70 or 80 years old, can show off their skills by swinging a club. Field hockey has always been passed down from generation to generation, and more and more people love the cause.

Children play field hockey in the green field. [Photo by Jiang Xiwu/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]