The Origin of Cuju on Qingming Festival 2019

Since ancient times, Qingming Festival has been a very important festival in our country. Therefore, in ancient times, this festival had many customs and habits, including Cuju. So what is the origin of Cuju during the Qingming Festival? Let’s take a look at it together below.

The Origin of Cuju on Qingming Festival

Cuju

Ju is a leather ball made of leather and stuffed with hair inside. Cuju is kicking the ball with the feet. This was a favorite game during the Qingming Festival in ancient times. According to legend, it was invented by Huangdi and its original purpose was to train warriors. Playing polo is also one of the activities during the Dragon Boat Festival. Polo is a game in which one hits a ball with a stick while riding on a horse. It was called Jiju in ancient times. In the Three Kingdoms' poem "Famous Capitals" by Cao Zhi, there is a line "Continuously hitting the ground with balls".

There were large golf courses in Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty, and emperors such as Xuanzong and Jingzong all loved polo. The "Polo Picture" in the tomb of Prince Zhanghuai depicts the prosperity of polo in the Tang Dynasty: in the painting, more than twenty horses are galloping with their tails tied up, and the players are wearing turbans on their heads and long boots, holding polo sticks and hitting the ball. "Xijing Zhi" records that the Liao Dynasty regarded playing polo as a traditional festival custom, and played polo on the Dragon Boat Festival and Double Ninth Festival. "History of Jin Dynasty: Rituals" also records that the Jin people played ball during the Dragon Boat Festival. There was a "ball-playing music" dance troupe in the Song Dynasty. Polo was still popular in the Ming Dynasty. The "Continued Comprehensive Examination of Literature and Art·Examination of Music" records that Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty went to the East Garden several times to play ball and shoot willows. The long scroll "Emperor Xuanzong Enjoying Pleasure" in the Ming Dynasty depicts the scene of Emperor Xuanzong enjoying polo. Wang Zhi, an official at that time, wrote a poem about watching people playing ball on the Dragon Boat Festival: "A jade-bridled horse worth a thousand gold, and a ball carved with seven treasures. The horse flies like lightning, and I lie down and feel the stars flowing. Three victories are achieved in the scorching sun, and I am happy to win the first prize. Celebratory clouds follow the horse's feet, and linger around the east end of the hall." There is also a tradition of people playing ball on horseback in front of the Baiyun Temple in Beijing. Polo was still played in the Temple of Heaven area during the Qing Dynasty, but it disappeared after the middle of the Qing Dynasty.

In recent years, antique polo has reappeared in Xi'an, making this ancient sport reappear in China after being extinct for many years.

Summary: Cuju is a leather ball, which is somewhat similar to football. It is said to have been invented by the emperor. In ancient times, Cuju was a recreational activity for people during the Qingming Festival.