Yuan Dynasty Paintings of Pills, Guangsheng Temple, Water Temple, Mingying Palace, Hongtong County, Shanxi Province
It first appeared more than 1000 years ago. The "ancestor" may be from Chengdu, and even women like it.
After a lapse of 116 years, golf returned to the Olympic stage, and China golfers appeared at the Olympic Games for the first time. On August 20th, Rio time, Feng Shanshan, a girl born in 1980s in China, fought hard for four rounds, winning a bronze medal with a score of 274 and 10 under par, thus achieving a breakthrough for China athletes in the Olympic golf medal list. Feng Shanshan’s excellent performance made everyone focus on the sport of golf.
"The firm circle is smooth and smooth, and the staff of the moon is not going to rest. When there is no obstacle, fiddle with it, and hook it at the place where there is a fence. Don’t hesitate to turn around, but I’m afraid it won’t end. After all, the introduction should begin, and I hope that you will strive for the forefront. "
— — — Tang poetess Yu Xuanji’s "Playing Ball"
In the records of western sports history, it is generally believed that golf originated in Scotland in the 14th century, and then spread to the whole world through England. However, many Chinese and foreign sports historians believe that this sport first appeared in the Song Dynasty in China and was brought to Europe by Mongols or businessmen in the Yuan Dynasty. The reason is that as early as the Song Dynasty, there appeared a highly similar competitive event to golf in China — — Beat pills.
According to Marukong, a book written in Yuan Dynasty, Song Huisong and Jin Zhangzong both loved to beat pills. In 2002, during the renovation of Yuhua Daoyuan in Daimiao, Tai ‘an City, Shandong Province, six "earth-lined stones" of the Song Dynasty were found, on which there were fourteen stone carvings of baby play in the Song Dynasty. In one picture, a boy stood with his legs apart, holding the ball in his right hand and holding a January-shaped stick in his left hand, reflecting the scene of beating pills in the Song Dynasty. In addition, Hebei Julu also unearthed the pottery pillow of Tongzi Pilling in Song Dynasty. All of these prove that as early as the Song Dynasty, China produced a pounding pill similar to today’s golf.
Speaking of the origin of Chuiwan, we have to start with the evolution of polo in the Tang Dynasty. Polo has become a very popular competitive activity in the upper class since it was introduced to the Central Plains in the early Tang Dynasty. However, due to the expensive horses and limited space, a kind of "walking ball" appeared in the middle and late Tang Dynasty. People engaged in this sport no longer rode on horses to hit the ball, but kept the rules and appliances of polo, and counted the victory and defeat by walking on the ground with a stick to hit the ball. In the Song Dynasty, on the basis of stepping ball, the goal was changed into a ball socket, which made it more unrestricted by terrain, and thus developed a punching ball similar to today’s golf. By the Yuan Dynasty, Chuiwan had developed very well. The Yuan Dynasty mural of Guangsheng Temple Water Temple in Hongdong County, Shanxi Province has a picture of beating pills, which vividly reflects the scene of the ancients beating pills in the mountains and waters.
Some scholars believe that Chuiwan may have originated in Chengdu in the late Tang Dynasty. The reason is that many ceramic balls, porcelain balls, wooden balls and stone balls have been unearthed in the stratum of the Tang Dynasty in the central area of Chengdu. These balls are of different sizes, and some of them have concave points, and there are obvious traces of hitting. Experts believe that these balls should be used for punching pills. According to the Southern Song Dynasty document "Record after Swinging", when Meng Chang, the Emperor of the Later Shu Dynasty, entered Shu, he saw Chengdu people beating pills with a stick. Experts believe that in the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Sixteen Countries, compared with other regions in China, Sichuan was far from war, with stable society, developed economy and prosperous culture, which was conducive to the development of polo, punching pills and cuju among the people.
Chuiwan is an "economic version" of polo.
Although polo was very popular in the Tang Dynasty, this sport, which seems to be "noble" now, was also subject to many restrictions at that time. For example, polo required good horses, clubs and goals, as well as a huge stadium and two teams with equal numbers of small partners. In the Tang dynasty, horses were very expensive military equipment, and only nobles in the folk would raise horses. Although there are many inconveniences, it is difficult to stop the "playing heart" of ordinary people. Polo has evolved into a step ball, and then it has become a more economical ball.
Professor Hao Qin, director of the Museum of Chengdu Institute of Physical Education, said that if the cost of a sport is very expensive, it is not conducive to popularization among the people. In the middle Tang dynasty, polo first evolved into a cheaper donkey bow, and then gradually evolved into a walking ball with a walking stick. During the Zhenguan period of Emperor Taizong, Wei Zhi, the minister, was ordered to write a music and dance song "Playing Ball Music", which was later changed to "Jiegu Music" by Emperor Xuanzong, who was proficient in melody. The court dancers danced with sticks, reappearing the charm of ladies-in-waiting stepping ball.
In addition to the court banquets performed for the emperor, there were also men playing ball walking at that time. In Ball Playing, Yu Xuanji, a poetess in the Tang Dynasty, used her poems to imply that the right person should strive for the first place like an introduction to ball playing and not lose the best opportunity for courtship. The poem reads: "The moon staff is hard and smooth, and it is not going to rest. When there is no obstacle, fiddle with it, and hook it at the place where there is a fence. Don’t hesitate to turn around, but I’m afraid it won’t end. After all, the introduction should begin, and I hope that you will strive for the forefront. " Such a wonderful playing scene will inevitably make the poet imagine.
In the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, on the basis of stepping ball, there was another movement of hitting the ball into the "nest", which even saved the money for building the goal. Instead, the ball hole was dug on the ground, and the player who scored the ball scored points, so it was called punching the ball. If walking ball is similar to hockey now, then punching balls is similar to golf.
Beating pills began in ancient Chengdu?
In ancient Chengdu, there were many kinds of fitness. Not only were they good at polo, but they were also proficient in chess and archery. Could they beat pills? Some scholars really hold a positive attitude and think that Chuiwan may have originated in Sichuan in the Tang Dynasty.
The book "Record after Swinging" in the Southern Song Dynasty reads: "When Meng Zhixiang (the master of the later Shu Dynasty) first came to Chengdu, he saw the Shu people hitting the ball, and he hit the lake with a stick, which was called a slam." The word "Huzi" in this paper means a ball hole, and the literature records that when Meng Zhixiang entered Shu, he saw people in Chengdu playing with a pill. "The History of the New Five Dynasties and the Family of Houshu" records: "Chang, the third son of Zhixiang." "It’s good to play ball and take a horse, and it’s also a skill in the alchemist’s room, and more good families are adopted to fill the harem." Meng Zhixiang was the founding emperor of Houshu, and Meng Chang was his third son. Both father and son were Houshu emperors in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. According to the historical records, "Chang Hao plays ball", whether this ball refers to stepping ball or beating pills remains to be verified. However, according to the record after swinging, at least it can be speculated that in the late Tang Dynasty, Chengdu people could already beat pills.
In addition, Qiongyao, which was founded in the Eastern Jin Dynasty and flourished in the Tang Dynasty, provided technical support for firing ceramic balls. A large number of pottery, porcelain, wood and stone pills have been unearthed in Chengdu, especially a large number of wooden pills with pits and twisted tires unearthed in the Tang Dynasty, which are powerful arguments for Chengdu people to play with pills. The Adult Museum has a Yuan Dynasty meatball ball, which is made of two kinds of wet mud with different colors and fired in the kiln by using the twisting process. Looking back to the land of abundance, people live and work in peace and contentment, with rich cultural foundation and technical support, and local officials and even the emperor as advocates, it is very logical that the pill-beating movement in Sichuan is all the rage under such a historical background.
The rules of pounding pills are very complicated
How to play the pill? Professor Hao Qin introduced that there are relevant records in Marukong. Most of the venues for pounding pills are located in the wild. "The terrain is flat, convex, concave, steep, upturned, obstructed, hindered, greeted, inside and outside." These terrains are uneven, and different terrains have different names. For example, an uneven slope is called steep, the top of the slope is called upward, the front is called resistance, and the back is called obstruction. Existing in the frescoes of Guangsheng Temple Water Temple in Hongtong County, Shanxi Province, there is also a well-preserved Yuan Dynasty Pill-beating map. In the picture, four men beat pills on the flat ground between the clouds and the trees and stones, and the competition venue is consistent with the description in Maruko Classic.
Where do I tee off the first shot? Draw the ball base before the game. The base of the ball is square, and the width is less than one foot. Put the ball on the base and you can’t move it until you start playing. If there is an obstacle behind the ball base, it is often easy to break the club, and it is difficult for the ball to hit the vicinity of the ball socket. Therefore, if there is debris on the ground, it should be removed before drawing the base. There are several pits to be dug on the golf course. The distance between the base and the pits should be at least 10 feet near, 50 to 60 steps away from each other, and no more than 100 steps at the farthest. This distance is completely incomparable with the scale of today’s golf course.
Players determine the order of service by throwing the ball, "the farthest comes first, and the nearest comes later;" The left comes first, and the right comes later. " Pill-thumping competition can be divided into groups or not, and the number of participants has different names. Dozens of people take part in it, seven or eight people take part in it, five or six people take part in it, three or four people are "one friend", and the least is two people, which is called "single pair". In the course of the game, the winner is to hit the ball into the nest or use the least number of sticks, and the winner will be raised. The chips are made of bamboo and distributed to everyone before the game. According to the amount of money raised, the competition is divided into three types: big money (20), medium money (15) and small money (10). The loser pays his own money to the winner according to the situation.
In addition, the rules of the game also include penalty clauses: no ball change, no bat change during the game, and both the offender and his team lose; Even if you are a master, you are not allowed to support others; If you hit someone else’s ball by mistake, it is also a loss. If you are found to hit the ball for someone else, you will lose twice and be fined double.
Song Huizong is a rich player.
The exact time of the formation of Chuiwan is still inconclusive in historians, but it is generally acknowledged that it began to develop at least in the Song Dynasty, matured gradually in the Yuan Dynasty, and became very popular even among the people in the Ming Dynasty. Song Huizong, a player of a generation, loves this sport very much. When the country is about to tilt, he can still swing the wooden pole lightly and strike gracefully, watching the birds enter the hole from a distance. What is consistent with his status as the Emperor of the Song Dynasty and the "first star" is that he has a very luxurious pill-beating equipment, which makes him coquettish and envies others.
According to the book "Maruko Classic", "Song Huizong and Jin Zhangzong all love to beat pills, filling them with tricks, beating them with colorful sticks, grinding jade to adorn the top, and decorating the gold edge, seeking for the legacy of the ancients and benefiting their essence". It shows that Song Huizong not only loves to play ball, but also basks in luxury equipment. His club is decorated with gold, with jade ornaments on the top, and his bag is a trick. Song Huizong also knows that he is diligent and often learns the skills left by the ancients, so his skills are constantly improved.
Song Huizong Zhao Ji’s equipment is undoubtedly top-notch. Perhaps at that time, the aristocrats were playing with pounding pills, and their equipment was also very particular. The psychology of sports enthusiasts in ancient and modern times is mostly the same. No matter whether the ball is good or not, let’s talk about a good set of equipment first. As Maruko said, "If a worker wants to do a good job, he must sharpen his tools first. The skill is exquisite, the heart and hand are corresponding, and there is no exception. "Song Huizong’s gold-inlaid club with jade is a sharp weapon for a generation of players.
Another emperor who likes to beat pills is Zhu Zhanji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty. Now, the Palace Museum has a long scroll of the Ming Dynasty’s "Xuanzong Xingle Tu", among which Zhu Zhanji personally holds a stick to beat pills. The place for pounding pills is in the court yard. Although there is no undulating terrain in Shan Ye, it is blocked by articles such as flowers and trees, which is interesting. There are five ball sockets in the field, and a blue or red flag is inserted next to each ball socket as a logo. He prepared to hit the ball with a stick in each hand, perhaps hesitating about which stick is more advantageous. There is a "escort" staff member, four people to accompany the fight, and someone behind the square table where the chips are placed counts the chips. This scene is exactly the same as Maruko.
Women in Song Dynasty also played this game.
Chuiwan was very popular in Song Dynasty, and women could also play this game.
Wei Tai, a Song Dynasty poet, recorded in the book "The Record of Dongxuan" that the county magistrate Zhong Lijun’s handmaid cried, "My father was here when I was young, and the cave was a ball nest to guide my drama. After a long time, I haven’t changed two places." It is said that when the county magistrate Zhong Lijun married his daughter, he bought a handmaid to marry him. One day, the maid swept the floor in front of the hall with a dustpan and broom in her hand, and looked at the underground depression for a long time. She burst into tears and said, "When I was a child, my father dug such a crypt as a ball nest and taught me to play ball games." After listening to the words, Zhong Lijun asked carefully about the origin of this girl, only to know that this handmaid is the daughter of a former county magistrate. It can be seen that many women in the Song Dynasty like to beat pills.
Just like many people used to buy a few lottery tickets to support their favorite teams when watching football matches, in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, gambling was very popular, and ball games such as cuju, clapping and pounding pills were often used for gambling. In the chapter of making money in Marukong, there is a description of dividing property based on raising money at the end of the game. The author also describes the gambler who beats pills like this: "If you are rich, you will not be rich, and you will not be poor." Being rich in small wealth is shameful, and being poor in heavy goods is exhausted. A wise man has plenty of money, but a fool will be exhausted if he has no money. "
Interestingly, although the author sneers at people who cheat on playing and commit crimes in Maruko, there is no statement about match-fixing. It can also be inferred from the text that the author is not opposed to gambling behavior, but appreciates the people with high winning rate, and even analyzes the gambler’s psychology with great interest. "Those who never stop, the foundation of winning (endless wealth, peace of mind, therefore winning), those who will exhaust, the road to failure (the money will be exhausted, the heart will be uneasy, and the more afraid they will lose)".
Perhaps at that time, although some people gambled on the ball, the two sides were only participants in the game. They could bet on the money to win, but they didn’t have to cheat and deliberately lose. At that time, the folk customs were simple and there was no bookmaker to set up a match-fixing game.
Chuiwan story
Worried about playthings, Fan Zhongyan angrily smashed corners.
Chuiwan was all the rage in the Song Dynasty, and even children liked it very much. There is a cloud in the ancient poem, "Children in the city like to beat pills, and a stick horizontally shoots down the green felt. It’s a story about a child hitting a ball into a hole when he rubs a pill. Children’s physical fitness is limited, so they can only play slightly small activities. Therefore, the pounding pill has been improved in the hands of children and has become a "corner kick".
If the level of Song Huizong’s play is the open competition, then corner-hitting is equivalent to the community competition, that is, the "children’s version" of Chumaru. In the Song Dynasty, Fan Gong’s prisoner Guo Ting Lu once recorded a story about hitting a corner kick: "Teng Fu Yuan-fa regarded Wen Zheng (Fan Zhongyan) as an imperial uncle, and since childhood, Wen Zheng loved his talents and treated him like a son … … (Yuan Fa) loves to hit corners, but Wen Zheng gives up every time and doesn’t listen. One day, Wen Zheng was looking for Dalang to doubt his career, but he hit the ball outside. Wen Zheng was angry, and ordered him to take the ball, so that the little official could face it directly and smash it with an iron mallet. The ball was hit by iron, the amount of petty officials. While the petty official was protecting the pain, Teng handed in his hand and whispered: ‘ Come on! ’ Wenzheng is also excellent. " This story is about Teng Yuan, the grandson of Fan Zhongyan and an official in the Northern Song Dynasty.
When he was a child, he loved to hit a corner kick. Fan Zhongyan was worried that he would be discouraged by playing with things. Every time he advised him, he wouldn’t listen. Finally, he ordered someone to break the ball with a hammer and the debris splashed everywhere.
What’s the difference between corner kick and thumping pill? It’s impossible to verify it now. The Song Dynasty’s "Banana Shade Hitting Map" collected by the Palace Museum can make up for the lack of written materials. This picture depicts two children hitting a corner kick in the shade of a banana. One of the children squatted on his side, holding a small stick and trying to hammer a small black corner ball; Another child stands with a stick in his right hand.
Stand up, raise your left hand slightly, and stare intently at whether the ball has been hit. On the right side of the picture, a woman, who looks like a child’s mother, stands slightly forward at her desk. Accompanied by a servant girl, she enjoyed the game of two children. This picture of children hitting the ball is lively and vivid, and it is also a strong evidence of the prevalence of punching pills at that time.
Huaxi Dushi Bao reporter Zeng Jie intern Fang Jingsi
Acknowledgement to Chengdu Institute of Physical Education Museum
