Study on Polo Culture in Tang Dynasty
| Autor: | Chun-Wei Lai, 賴駿瑋 |
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| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Druh dokumentu: | 學位論文 ; thesis |
| Popis: | 104 The glorious Tang Dynasty represents the height of culture and lasting influence over posterity. It lasted 290 years, from 618 to 907, a brilliant epoch in Chinese history after the Han Dynasty. China was unified at the time, its territory far-flung, with prosperous and well-developed politics, economy, and commerce; the society was a harmonious melting pot of various nationalities, and there was frequent contact with foreign cultures. As a result, people took leisurely activities seriously, from the noble class to the common people. Games of skill were popular, for they reflected the ease of living of a prosperous empire and demonstrated the cultural characteristics of a diverse, open, and equitable society. Some of these games of skill involved ball-playing, and they were competitive. One such game was called maqiu, or ball playing on horseback; the object was to drive the ball into a goal from horseback, much like present-day polo. It was a popular game with soldiers and common people, as well as in the imperial court. It was sportive and involved team work, and the participants needed not only strong bodies and equestrian and ball-playing skills, but also bravery, agility of the body and reflexes, and perseverance. It is interesting to note that during the Tang Dynasty, the game of maqiu reached unprecedented heights in popularity and skills, which have not been equaled ever since. The aim of this article is to inquire into the art of maqiu in everyday life as part of an in-depth understanding of the culture of the Tang Dynasty, including maqiu’s background, origin, and the course of its development; an examination of its implementation tools and rules; ballpark locations and functions; the role played by politics, economics, military affairs, and culture in the rise and fall of the game of maqiu; an analysis of the images of maqiu in poetry and literature as a reflection of society and mores; the relationship between maqiu and art in drawings, cave paintings, terracotta figures, stone etchings, utensils, and excavated objects; and finally, a testament of the popularity of maqiu and the important role it played in people’s lives in the Tang Dynasty, and of the golden period of maqiu that is the Tang Dynasty. |
| Databáze: | Networked Digital Library of Theses & Dissertations |
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