Research On Sports Culture In Heluo Area From Han To Tang Dynasty

With the unification, economic development and wide exchange of the nation, cultural integrity of allethics in Han and Tang dynasties was stengthened. The dynastic prosperity could be found in the successiveexpressions of "The reign of Wen Jing","The boom of Guangwu","The rule of Zhenguan", and "Theflourishing age of Kaiyuan". The Heluo region, as the national center of politics, economy and culture atthat time, hence developed its culture to a new altitude. Sports culture, a part of Heluo culture, alsopresented an active and different styles.During the reign of Han Dynasties, sports culture in Heluo region had well developed, in particular,when Eastern Han Dynasty located its capital in Luoyang, Heluo region became a center of politics,economy and culture, where the dwellers in different social status assembled, including kinsman of theemperor and government officials. The incomparable political advantage was no doubt a huge impetus tothe development of sports culture in Heluo region. During this period, the sports were greatly developedboth in form and content, such as Daoyin, Polo and Cuju. The knowledge of "Shooting and Yu(defense)"was taught as the important content in the imperial college. Sports culture of this region was influnced byBuddhism and Daoism during Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern dynasties, so Wushu andYangsheng(nourishing of life) grew vigorously. During Han Dynasties, Heluo region, in particular,Dengfeng, Luoyang and Zhengzhou, produced a large number of the Han stones and murals in which awealth of sports content could be seen, a reflection of the prosperity of the sports culture at that time.The Three Kingdoms, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were the period of ethnic separatism andfusion in China’s history. Frequent wars and ethnic minorities of the north entering Central Plainsobjectively promoted the North-South economic and cultural exchanges. There had been a significantdevelopment in Metaphysics, Buddhism and Taoism. The game of go was very popular among literati, forinstance, Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove was go masters. The books on Go then appeared and16kindswere documented in Jing Ji Zhi, a chapter of Sui. During this period, more complex chess activitiesemerged in Heluo region. The invasion of ethnic minorities of the north, the Huns, Jie, Di, Qiang, forexample, didn’t bring North underestimated influence to the traditional sports in Heluo region. The riding and shooting and wrestling swept Heluo, where the North Militarism was gradually formed.With the unification of the nation, steady politics and thriving economy and culture, the ruler in Suiand Tang danasties adopted an open policy of absorbing alien culture without restraint and hence sportsculture yielded unusually brilliant results. Luoyang, known as the Eastern Capital during the reign ofEmperor Yang, was renamed by Empress Wu as God Capital.Heluo region had been the political, economicand cultural center of the country. The political advantage undoubtedly promoted the development of sportsculture in Heluo region. Martial arts was valued by the rulers. Yang Jian Emperor of Wei Dynasty oftenpersonally led the warriors to practice martial arts. Emperor Li Shimin taught the soldiers shooting skillsand awarded the superb shooter. In Luoyang, Empress Wu also valued Martial arts and arranged millitaryexamination. Polo was very popular in the Tang Dynasty in Luoyang, court officials, including Wu Zetian,were polo-players. Emperors and officials mostly favored Cuju activities in which women oftenparticipated. During Sui and Tang Dynasties, Various sports in Heluo region was vividly and dramaticlyheld with examples as the performance of national diplomat fellowship activity, regular sports activity ofthe nation, celebration at royal court, hunting of the ruler and ministers, the sports of troops, elites and thecivilian. It suggested the active and wide participance of the public.The national power, economy and culture prospered in Han and Tang Dynasties. During the period ofthe Western Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian opened a new era of communications with the West. the Hangovernment set the Western Regions Frontier Command60BC. A silk road departing from Chang’an to thewest by the Hexi Corridor, Central Asia and the European countries were opened, greatly strengthenedforeign economic and cultural exchanges in the Han Dynasty. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, thecontacts between China and the West Asia were more frequent. During Sui and Tang dynasties, inaddition to the Silk Road, the Tang government opened the Maritime Silk Road, when Quanzhou,Mingzhou, Guangzhou become a well-known foreign trade port. At that time, as an strong culture, sportsculutre in Heluo region spread widly to the world with the foreign exchange activities carried out in Hanand Tang dynasties. The governments launched foreign trade and cultural exchange with70-odd courties inAsia, Africa and Europe. Frequent exchange made Heluo sports culture noursih in these countries whereHeluo culture also aborbed their excellent sports programs and culture. For instance, music, dance andacrobatics in the Western regions and Burma and yoga in Tianzhu spread to the Heluo region. This kind of exchange was bilateral and mutually beneficial. Because of this, sports culture in the Heluo regiondemonstrated a scene of mutural accommodation and thriving prosperity.