Chinese Traditional Sports (Color Illustration Edition)

Author: Feng Guochao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: The Tang Emperors Who Loved Polo
Polo was at its most flourishing in Chinese history during the Tang Dynasty. The sport originated with Emperor Taizong of Tang. According to the Fengshi Wujianji (Records of Feng Shi's Observations) by Tang scholar Feng Yan, Emperor Taizong heard that the Tibetan people enjoyed playing polo and ordered his men to learn the game. However, Emperor Taizong was very cautious about this decision, as playing polo was merely a form of entertainment. The self-disciplined emperor did not want the Tibetans to see his true intentions, so when they presented him with a polo ball, he burned it instead. He said to his attendants, "I have heard that the Western tribes love playing polo. I have had them practice it, and I will watch it once. Yesterday, when I ascended the Shengxian Pavilion, I saw a group of Tibetan tribespeople playing polo in the streets. They wanted to show it to me, but I feared they would think I loved it and hire them to play. I have come to realize that the actions of an emperor are not to be taken lightly. I have burned this ball as a self-reminder."
However, regardless of Emperor Taizong's true thoughts, once polo spread to the Central Plains, it quickly became popular among the military and aristocracy. The polo balls used in the Tang Dynasty were made of lightweight yet durable wood, similar in size to a fist, hollowed in the middle, and painted red or decorated with colors. The polo mallets had a crescent-shaped tip. The playing field was rectangular, with either one goal in the center or two goals on each side. The goals were made of wooden boards with a hole about one foot in diameter in the center, covered with a net. The players were divided into two teams, and the game was won by the team that scored the most goals.
Many Tang emperors loved polo. For example, Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi of Tang was fond of watching polo matches, but he found them unsatisfying when played by Tibetan teams. So he invited the Tibetan polo team to the palace to perform in their authentic style. Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian also personally went to the Liyuan Pavilion polo field to watch matches between Han and Tibetan teams. Moreover, some emperors not only enjoyed watching polo but even played it themselves. For instance, Emperor Jingzong Li Zhan loved playing polo so much that he would gather his men for night matches under candlelight, even late at night. Tragically, he was killed by a professional polo player on the field. Emperor Xuanzong Li Chen was an exceptional player, and even the professional players of the Shen Ce Army were inferior to him. Emperor Xixiong Li Xuan was also very proud of his polo skills and, according to the Zizhi Tongjian, once boasted, "If polo were an imperial examination, I would surely become the top scholar."
However, among all the Tang emperors who loved polo, the true master was Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji. First, his polo skills were exceptional. According to historical records, in the third year of the Jinglong era (709 AD), Emperor Zhongzong watched a match between the Tibetan polo team and the imperial team. The imperial team lost every match, much to Emperor Zhongzong's anger. At that time, Prince Lixing Li Longji, along with three other imperial members, formed a four-player team to compete against the Tibetan team of ten. Li Longji dominated the field, moving effortlessly like a ghost in the night, and ultimately won the match with ease. Even the Tibetan ministers praised his skills.
Second, after ascending the throne, Emperor Xuanzong continued to play polo without stopping, sometimes even missing court sessions for it. Third, Emperor Xuanzong not only played polo himself but also promoted it in the military. In the sixth year of the Tianbao era (747 AD), he issued an edict declaring polo a "martial skill" and ordering its promotion in the army. After that, polo became a regular pastime in the military.
Lastly, Emperor Xuanzong lived to the age of 77, one of the longest-living emperors in Chinese history. Even at the age of 62, he still wanted to play polo on the field. Therefore, he was truly a great polo player.