Introduction
The notion of “sports” in Chinese has been influenced by Western concepts in modern times and has expanded over time from personal forms of physical training and group competitions to also include such activities as nature hikes and fitness walking. While the ancient Chinese lacked an all-encompassing term to describe such physical activities, they often used those for “archery,” “arts,” “skills,” “play,” and “roaming” to refer to them individually, each having its own deep-rooted cultural context and connotation. This special exhibition juxtaposes the two concepts of “sports” and “skills” that transcend time and space to examine various forms of physical activity and performance in the past through our modern lens of a broader understanding of physical sports and activities.
The exhibition is divided into four sections to approach this topic. The first one, “Martial Preparedness and Ritual Training,” covers such activities as horseback archery, ice sporting, and the game of pitch-pot that evolved from archery drills, showcasing different skills related to military training and ritual performance. The second section, “Ball Game Competitions,” features painting, calligraphy, and literary works demonstrating the popularity of ancient Chinese ball games at the imperial court and among ordinary folk, including Cuju kickball and Jiju polo. The third one, “Showcasing Physical Performances,” brings together such performing arts as dance, tightrope walking, and acrobatics to portray their richness and entertainment value in Chinese culture. Finally, the fourth section, “Climbing the Heights and Gazing Afar,” looks at the activity of ascending peaks and excursions among Chinese in the past from the perspective of modern hiking. Visiting scenic sites and experiencing the wonders of nature were often closely related to ceremonial rituals, inspection tours, and sightseeing trips, the experiences of which in turn inspired many artists to create marvelous works of painting and calligraphy.
This special exhibition features selected works of painting and calligraphy to present the richness of ancient Chinese activities involving sports, skills, and performance. It is hoped that the actions and dynamic figures presented here can transcend the boundaries of time and space to resonate with the spirit of modern sports, exercise, and the performing arts, allowing viewers today to observe the vitality and physicality of Chinese life in the past.