Chinese Miao games combine acrobatics with martial arts
Who are the Miao?
Residing in the mountainous south and southwestern China, the Miao ethnic group have a long history and splendid culture. Their embroidery, silver jewelry, and batik art is second to none in the world. Across the Miao areas, different groups have different customs, but there are some unique games which you may have never heard of.
Climbing a knife ladder
A Miao knife ladder is 12 meters high, with 72 knives as rungs. The climbers first use the knives to cut a piece of cloth or their hair to show that they are very keen.
The unshod performers then start to climb the knife ladder, and their feet don't get any hurt. They will not only climb, but also show off some acrobatic feats such as somersaults and flips.
Walking on the flaming iron board
To start this game, an iron board has coals burned on it for over 1 hour and can reach temperatures over 800 degrees Celsius.
The unshod Miao player then treads onto the iron boards. You can see smoke flying off of his/her feet, but miraculously their feet aren't hurt at all.
Throw the iron boards into the water, which at once bubbles and a mist of white vapor ascends.
Horse fighting
Horse fights and horse races are all held on June 6 of the lunar calendar, to express the Miao wishes for a good harvest.
The interesting horse fighting games allure lots of people to come and see. Girls will dress up with beautiful silver ornaments like silver bracelets, as this is also a holiday for them to have fun.
Two young men bring their horses into a large rink and the game starts. Once the two horses see each other, they immediately start fighting and biting. They attack each other with their hoofs frenziedly. One horse is defeated and flees after a few rounds of fighting, with the other running after it.
The audience around the rink yell excitedly for the horses. At last, the winner will get a red cloth sash to decorate his body.
Horse races
Horse races are held on steep mountain roads. When the game starts, the rider is 5 or six meters behind the horse.
Then the rider runs to mount the horse, which immediately gallops. For safety, the rider's legs have to be kept close to the body of the horse, as there is no saddle on the horse.
The race is really amazing. The winner will get a prize, and may even win the love of the local girls.
The Miao have even more exciting games and sports, visit my website to learn more about Miao culture and silver jewelry here.
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