Archery, the most popular outdoor activity in ancient times

Archery is a sport with a long history in China. As early as during the Yangshao culture, there were already stone arrowheads, indicating that bows and arrows did appear as early as 4,000 or 5,000 years ago.

It is said that in the time of Xia Yu, who used both gold and stone, there were already purple copper arrowheads,? Yu cave time, to copper for soldiers? Yin and Shang times, copper arrowheads basically replaced the stone arrowheads, bronze arrowheads and far better than the bronze arrowheads, very sharp, in the war has been very widely used. We can also see the rapid development of the bow and arrow in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties from the book of "Kao Gong Ji". Zhou will be more? Shooting? As? six arts? One of the six arts of education, the Book of Rites? Nei Zi" said? The 15th year of age is for learning archery and defense. and also to learn the "five archery skills". The Five Shoots. That is to say, "The White Yard". "White Yard "White Yard", "White Yard", "White Yard", "White Yard". "Sang-ryun". And? Hepatitis B? Hepatitis B? Hepatitis B? The first is a new one, which is a new one, and the second is a new one. The wells are the most important of all. They each have their own significance. The white arrow is to shoot through the target. The first arrow is the first arrow, and then the next three arrows should be shot in succession, commonly known as the arrow of the pearl. Hepatite means that the arrow must not fall from a height, but must be shot horizontally and straight, without forming an arc. Xiangshi means that when shooting, the arm is as straight as an arrow, and the elbow is flat and steady. Jing Yi means that the four arrows should be shot at the target in an orderly manner like the character for well. Shooting is an integral part of the Zhou ritual, ? Sang arc Peng yi six, shooting heaven and earth four directions? , where men must complete the education of shooting, and not being able to shoot is a sign of rudeness and lack of talent.

Superior archery was originally a combination of courage and skill. During the Spring and Autumn period, the lords were in conflict, and the bow and arrow became an indispensable weapon in war. It is in this era of reverence for force, our ancients intended to turn the bow and arrow into a tool of rituals and education, to guide society towards peace, the shooting ceremony was born. As the name suggests, the Rites of Archery is an archery ritual that combines competition, rituals, music, and feasting, and is used for activities such as selection, competition, feasting, and saluting. As one of the Zhou rituals, the archery rite is also an ancient folk recreational activity, which emphasizes modesty and courtesy, and advocates ? If one fails to hit the target, one should seek help from oneself?

The ancient Chinese ritual of shooting, as one of the rituals of the Zhou Dynasty, was also a kind of folk entertainment activity, emphasizing modesty and courtesy, and advocating the idea of "if you don't get it, ask for help".

Ancient archery targets are generally made of animal skins, and the competition to shoot and shoot through is called ? The main skin of the shot? Confucius was very unimpressed with this kind of competition which was only about power, and thought it was against the ? The Ancient Way. In the Analects of Confucius, he said: "The eight rows of dancers said: ? Eight rows of rows of dancers" said: ? The ancient way is to shoot without the main skin, and to shoot for the strength of different subjects. Meaning: whether the shooter can shoot, shoot through the target, mainly depends on the shooter's physical ability, is not worth valuing; should pay more attention to is the shooter's virtue and cultivation. Thus, Confucianism skillfully seized the combination of archery and rituals and music, while retaining than shooting, giving archery a new soul.

The archery rites are divided into four types according to the specifications: the Great Archery, the Bin Archery, the Yan Archery, and the Countryside Archery. Big shot, is the son of heaven, the vassal held a grand ritual activities before the shooting ceremony; Bin shot, is the vassal to see the son of heaven or the vassal meeting held when the shooting ceremony; Yan shot, is the son of heaven, the vassal guests held during the banquet shooting ceremony; township shooting, is held in the township drinking wine ceremony when the shooting ceremony, used for athletic, selection of sage and other activities.

With the use of cavalry in the war during the Warring States period, people also invented the riding archery. The so-called mounted archery is riding on the horse archery. Riding on the horse to shoot arrows, both to master the balance of the body, but also to have a very good judgment, so it puts forward a higher demand for archery technology.

The first person to advocate mounted archery during the Warring States period was King Wuling of Zhao. The state of Zhao was in the north of China and was often attacked by the Hu people. When they attacked, they wore short clothes and rode horses, which made the Zhao army, which was mainly equipped with chariots, tired and defeated. In order to change this situation, King Wuling of Zhao decisively asked the soldiers to take off the wide-sleeved robes and heavy armor, put on the narrow-sleeved short clothes, abandon the bulky chariots, and directly ride a horse to fight.

By the Tang and Song dynasties, archery was also widely carried out in the folk, temple fairs, social fires and other gatherings, archery competitions and performances, such competitions or performances are divided into foot shooting and riding, there are fixed archery targets and mobile archery targets, and even on the horse to a variety of different actions to complete the archery and accurately hit the target to win the onlookers cheered and applauded.

With the advent of the firearms era, weapons such as arrowheads gradually reduced its role in the war, but as a kind of physical fitness and cultivate the will of the basic training, archery has been in the court of successive dynasties, the military and even civil society has been passed down.

The Ming Dynasty was also popular at that time a game called shooting willow. The so-called shooting willow, is to shoot willow branches with arrows, this sport originated in northern China, the less Lou ethnic groups. According to "Liao Shi? Rituals", the Liao dynasty in the drought and pray for rain when the custom of shooting willow:? And the period, the emperor to the emperor in the royal line, and shoot willow. The emperor and then shot, Prince, Zai Di to the next one shot. Moreover, in the Song Dynasty, the custom of shooting willow has been introduced into the Central Plains. For example, Meng Yuanlao said in "Tokyo Meng Hua Lu": ? Willow branches were stuck in the ground, and several riders shot them with arrows from a rowing machine, or a bow or a crossbow, which was called "waxing willow branches". Until the Ming Dynasty, the game of willow shooting was still prevalent. According to Ming History? Rites of passage", the Ming Emperor Zhu to love shooting willow, often go to the East Garden to watch the shooting willow show.

Before the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor every fall in the Mulan paddock hunting, called the Mulan autumn service. This is actually the emperor review of the army, liaison relations and a form of entertainment. After the middle of the Qing Dynasty, firearms have been more developed, bow and arrow as a cold weapon has little significance, but in the autumn hunting service is still as an important project of riding competition or performance, bow and arrow has become a symbol of martial arts.