Home / Classical Worlds / China

Encyclopedia ID 333

Cuju

Also known as 蹴鞠 · ancient Chinese football

Cuju: photograph by Qian Xuan
Photo: Qian Xuan, Public domain, source on Wikimedia Commons

Players kick and juggle a stuffed leather ball with feet and body, passing it among teammates or through a single goal in a net, scoring for style and accuracy.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of China.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Classical Worlds (about 1000 BCE to 500 CE), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of China.

Sources

Related entries

More from China

All 54 traditions from China See them on the map