Frozen in Time: How Ancient Chinese People Enjoyed Winter Games

Today, we’ll talk about the Qing Dynasty’s royal ice games which played an important role in military training and cultural celebration, generating lasting influence on China’s winter sports heritage.

Transcript

Frozen in Time: How Ancient Chinese People Enjoyed Winter Games

Today, we’ll talk about the Qing Dynasty’s royal ice games which played an important role in military training and cultural celebration, generating lasting influence on China’s winter sports heritage.

On March 18, the International Youth Forum on Ice & Snow Culture and Ecological Sustainability took place in Changchun, northeast China’s Jilin Province. Organized by Jilin University, the event welcomed dozens of Gen-Z youth from over 30 countries. Over the years, Jilin Province has established itself as a hub for China’s ice and snow economy, a center for cultural innovation in winter activities, and a region celebrated for its vibrant winter lifestyle.

At the opening ceremony, Han Xiping, deputy secretary of the CPC Jilin University Committee, emphasized the university’s pioneering role in ice and snow research. Jilin University has made significant contributions to the theoretical study of the ice and snow economy, the development of an independent knowledge system, and the advancement of safety and medical support in icy environments. Additionally, the university has cultivated specialized talent in winter sports, creating a robust academic foundation in the field.

A highlight of the forum was the official establishment of the Jilin Ice-and-Snow Trend Global Youth Association. Wu Dajing, a world-class athlete, professor at Jilin University, and member of China’s National Men’s Short Track Speed Skating Team, Xin Benlu, professor at Jilin University and director of the Key Laboratory of Ice & Snow Tourism Resorts Equipment and Intelligent Service Technology under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Jin Xuefei, deputy dean of the Third Bethune Hospital of Jilin University delivered keynote speeches on topics ranging from ice and snow sports culture to the ice economy, medical support for winter activities, and the global communication of ice and snow culture. Six Gen-Z youth also shared their personal experiences in a segment titled “Snowy Jilin: Sharing Your Winter Memories at 42°N Latitude.”

The Youth Roundtable encouraged participants to delve into discussions on the growth of Jilin’s ice and snow industries, the fusion of winter sports and art, and the preservation of biodiversity in the Changbai Mountain region. International students further enriched the forum with an artistic performance titled “The Rebirth of Snow · The Charm of Jilin,” offering a captivating interpretation of the region’s winter beauty and cultural heritage.

As part of the opening ceremony, a micro-film planned and produced by Jilin University premiered. The film is titled “Radiant Ice Lanterns: A ‘Deer’ Blooms,” and tells the story of Gen-Z youth from around the world collaborating to create a Nine-Colored Deer ice lantern, a symbol of good fortune in Chinese legend, symbolizing the bonds of global friendship. The International Youth Forum on Ice & Snow Culture and Ecological Sustainability is one of a series of events under the “Gen Z’s Ice & Snow Silk Road Adventure – Changbai Mountain Global University Students Skiing Carnival” initiative, organized by Jilin University.

In recent years, China has hosted numerous ice and snow competitions, including the Beijing Winter Games in 2022 and the upcoming Harbin Winter Games in 2025. But one interesting thing that you might not be aware of is that large-scale winter sports events were also held annually in ancient Beijing, featuring activities and equipment reminiscent of those seen in today’s Winter Olympics.

According to historical records from the Sui and Tang dynasties between the late 6th and early 9th centuries, tribes of Mongolian and Kyrgyz ancestry rode on wooden boards as they hunted on snowfields. Records of the Song Dynasty, which lasted from 960 to 1279, mention an “ice game” played by members of the royal court during the winter, but these records do not go into further detail. 

 During the Qing Dynasty, China’s last imperial dynasty, ice games were held regularly for military purposes. The Qing was established by the Manchu people from the northern steppes of China’s northeast. Qing founder Nurhaci（努尔哈赤）, who lived from 1559 to 1626, organized a special force equipped with ice skates.

 The Qing Dynasty was most prosperous under the 60-year rule of Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century. He was known for indulging in luxury, literature, and art. He hosted a winter games event every year in his imperial gardens in Beijing, now open to the public as Beihai Park. The purpose was to train soldiers, preserve Manchu culture, and show the dynasty’s military strength. Tribal leaders and foreign representatives were invited to watch the event.

 Emperor Qianlong ordered artists to paint scenes from the event, which he used as illustrations for his essays and poems. The works are the most important resources for academic research today on ancient royal winter games in China. Two of them are kept in the Palace Museum in Beijing. 

 According to these paintings in combination with Emperor Qianlong’s writings and historical records, at least 1,600 soldiers competed every year in the games, which had three major events. One resembles a modern-day biathlon: soldiers skated and shot arrows at a ball set above a gate near the emperor’s throne. Whoever hit the ball three times won the contest. Another event was speed skating. In one of his essays, Emperor Qianlong described racers going so fast that they resembled “flying bees,” “spooked dogs” and “lightning and meteors.” 

 The third game was like rugby on ice. A referee threw a ball in the air and two teams scrambled for it. The team that secured possession won, and the emperor rewarded every competitor. There were also performances that included acrobatic skating – a precursor to figure skating. And the “skates” weren’t the blade-type skates you see today: they resembled an iron plate tied to wooden shoes. Knee pads were also used.

 In the late 19th century, the Qing was controlled by Empress Dowager Cixi, another ruler who indulged in luxury. But by then, the Qing was in decline and the royal winter games had been suspended for years. Instead, she ordered her imperial guards to form an ice-skating team, but only to perform private shows for her. 

 For one performance, the Chinese character wan (万) meaning 10,000, a blessing for Cixi’s long life, and four Chinese characters for “peaceful world” were written on the ice. Then the ice skaters, holding colorful flags, skated along the lines. 

 Ice sledding has long been a popular activity in China’s north. Riders would sit on a small wooden bench or chair that was pulled by others or propelled by themselves along the ice with short poles. Sometimes, iron strips would be attached under the bench to help it glide like an ice skate. 

 The earliest mention of ice sledding was in the Dream Pool Essays, an encyclopedic work compiled in the 11th century by Chinese scientist Shen Kuo during the Northern Song Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty between the 14th and 17th centuries, ice sledding was already a popular winter pastime, often involving alcohol. 

 Ice sleds were also used for transportation. Wang Youdun（汪由敦）, one of Emperor Qianlong’s senior officials, once rode an ice sled from Beijing to Tianjin – a distance of around 125 kilometers. In a poem about the trip, he wrote that the sled went faster than a good horse, and that the experience was like “flying in a boat.” 

 In a painting by Jin Tingbiao （金廷标）, a royal artist during Qianlong’s rule, a group of children ice skate on a pond. They are depicted as laughing at two kids who had fallen after rushing ahead of the pack. 

 After the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, commoners were finally allowed to enjoy the icy surface of Beihai Lake. Some former imperial ice-game athletes would figure skate on Beijing’s other frozen lakes, performing for ordinary people. 

 Wu Tongxuan (吴桐轩) was captain of the team who performed at Beihai Lake for Empress Dowager Cixi. He continued to skate there after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, performing martial arts movements while skating for the crowds. In the 1940s, Jack Wilkes, a photographer for American magazine Life, was sent to China to cover World War II. Among his photos include an old man skating on Beihai Lake. It is believed the man was Wu Tongxuan. 

 Today, skating, skiing and ice sledding are not only popular in China’s cold north, but all across the country. The modern Olympics has taken inspiration from depictions of the Qing Dynasty ice games for the design of the central garden of the Olympic and Paralympic villages in Beijing, bringing the ancient traditions right up to date.

 Well, that’s the end of our podcast. Our theme music is by the famous film score composer Roc Chen. We want to thank our writer Song Yiming, translator Du Guodong, and copy editor JT. And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please tell a friend so they, too, can understand The Context.