Chapter 12 Chinese Traditional Folk Entertainments...
As an important part of Chinese folk customs，traditional folk entertainments consist of children games，intellectual games，athletic games，gambling games，seasonal games and festive activities．It is said that the card game，a game which enjoyed high popularity in the Tang and Song Dynasties，spread across Europe in the following Yuan Dynasty by the ambitious Mongolian cavalrymen during the period of Yuan's territory expansion to Europe in the west．After absorbing foreign traditions and cultures，card games came back to China at the beginning of the 20th century．Now the game of cards，in a constant new guise，still prevails among Chinese．The process of this game's development proves that entertainments and traditions are always handed down from generation to generation according to the transmission law of tradition．They mix with other cultures harmoniously and are in constant renovation．People have endowed traditional entertainments with vitality and，in return，are benefited by the relaxing and refreshing entertaining activities．
1.Children's Games
1)Playing Hide-and-Seek
Hide-and-seek，also known as“zhuoxi”or“cangmeng”，is a most common game for children．The game can be played as long as there are at least two people．It is recorded in the works of Qing Dynasty，“One child is blindfolded with silk before starting to seek others．This is called zhamangmang．”In addition，there are“moxiayu”(seeking blind fish)，“xiazimoxiang”(blind men feel an elephant)and many other similar favorite games of children．
It is said that Emperor Xuan Zong of Tang Dynasty is a master-player of hideand-seek．In the reign of Qian Long and Jiang Qing，there was an imperial artist Shen Qinglan，who once produced a painting“Children-Playing”，in which 6 children are playing hide-and-seek．
2)Rope Skipping
Rope skipping in the Ming and Qing Dynasties was called tiaobaisuo(skipping ropes or skipping white ropes)．In the Tang and Song Dynasties，it was recorded that rope skipping was called tousuo(through the rope)，tasuo(jumping across the rope) and other names．In the Ming Dynasty，group rope skipping vigorously flourished as one of the Lantern Festival entertainments．Even adults joined the children to take part in this game．In the Qing Dynasty，the ropes used for this game fell into two kinds:a short rope and a long one．The former was used by one or two persons;the latter by a group of people．While skipping，one often sang or recited nursery rhymes:“A peace drum sounds rab-a-dub and a white light looks like a turning wheel．One child swings the rope，one sings and one jumps in the turning wheel．”
3)Shuttlecock Kicking
Shuttlecock kicking is otherwise known as tiyanzi(kicking swallow)or zanhua．Traditional shuttlecock is made of a coin covered in cloth and fitted with cock feathers upward．In the Northern Dynasty，a Tianzhu(India in ancient Chinese)monk came to Luoyang to emancipate those who had predestined relation with Buddhism．He saw a child standing by a well ring on a very limited space and kicking shuttlecock．The child kicked five hundred rounds at a stretch．This proved that the technique already reached a very high level in the Northern and Southern Dynasties．Till the Tang Dynasty，it became more popular than ever before．It is said that the monks in the Shaolin Temple took it as a supplementary exercise for practice of martial arts．The imperial concubines were also keen on this game and all practiced and competed with each other．
As for its history，the Southern and the Northern Song Dynasties were an important phase in which its name became fixed and the way of making shuttlecock and its structures were almost identical to those of today．At the same time，many diversified techniques came out，such as walking while kicking，playing with shuttlecock on the knee，the abdomen and the head．Shuttlecock playing，inferred from research，can at least be traced back to the Han Dynasty two thousand years ago．
2.lntelligence-benefiting Games
1)Seven-piece Puzzle
A seven-piece puzzle，otherwise known as a seven-piece picture，is a famous jigsaw，which enjoys high popularity all over the world and gains the title of Tang Pictures．A seven-piece puzzle is invented out of inspiration from yanji of the Tang Dynasty，a kind of table used in ancient times with a distinguished feature of easy assembling and separation according to the number of guests．
The seven-piece puzzle made considerable progress during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties．During the period from the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty，a unit of seven pieces or sets made of wooden chips or cardboard was popularly known as seven-piece card．In the reign of Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty，retired Scholar self nicknamed Lay Buddhist wrote a book Seven-piece Picture based on his comprehensive study and extensive practice of this game．Thenceforth，the structure and design of seven-piece puzzle were fixed．
The seven-piece puzzle is easy to solve even for a child．However，it is very interesting to play with．Even adults get fascinated with it．In the last one hundred years，special books on the game have come out in the western countries．
2)Riddle Guessing
Riddle guessing may be accounted as the most ancient intelligence-benefiting game．In the ancient books of the Zhou and Qin Dynasties，it is recorded that riddles were named yinyu(enigma)that employed such techniques as metaphor，analogy and implication to hide what riddles refer to．In the Han Dynasty，yinyu developed towards two directions:one is characterized by portrayal and the other is mainly about the meaning and form of words，with the former being popular among folks and the latter being the main way of intelligence racing among men of letters．
What's more，in the Song Dynasty，there appeared professional artists who were specialized in making riddles，who were called commercial riddle makers．They put up stands at such public places of entrainment as wazi，attracting people to participate in riddle guessing．He who guessed rightly got the prize;he who guessed wrongly paid money．Meanwhile，this game was combined with the lantern show on the Lantern Festival．Therefore，lantern riddles pasted on the lanterns for amusement and enjoyment were produced．
3)Untying a Chain of Rings
Untying a chain of rings is a traditional intellectual game．The rules go like this: first，one ties a number of rings together into a chain and then he who unties them is the winner．The chain of rings has various structures:five-ringed，seven-ringed，nineringed，eleven-ringed and even thirteen-ringed．Among them，the nine-ringed is the most popular．This game made its first appearance in the Warring States Period．Thenceforth，it remained prevalent through dynasties．Su Shi，a famous poet in the Song Dynasty，writes:“It is easy to untie a chain of rings as if with the help of a god's hands．”This indirectly reflects the complexity and difficulty of untying a chain of rings．In the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty，Karl Dane，an Italian mathematician came to China．He could not admire more the Chinese chain of rings．
4)Practising Guqin，Qi，Shu，and Hua
Qin，a seven stringed-plucked instrument in some ways similar to the zither，originally was called qin or seven stringed qin(see Chapter 17)．Since the Tang and Song Dynasties，it was called“guqin”which was used as a musical instrument for offering sacrifices，entertainments and performance．
Qi specially refers to weiqi with a history over four thousand years．In the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States period，weiqi was beginning to take shape．A weiqi board has 19 vertically and horizontally parallel lines，361 crosses，180 black pieces and 180 white ones．
Shu(calligraphy)refers to the writing in brush．It resorts to the change of lines to express the style of writing and the mood of the writer．
Hua means painting in brush，ink and painting coloring on specially made Xuan paper，a high quality paper made in Xuancheng in Anhui Province，or on silk．As for its skill and technique，there are gongbi(traditional Chinese realistic painting characterized by fine brush and close attention to details)，yibi(focus on the mood instead of details)，sketching，boneless technique(painting without outline but with forms achieved by washes of ink and color)，etc．
Qin，qi，shu and hua not only act as entertainments for traditional scholars，but also exert immeasurable influence on the character of traditional scholars and creation of the Chinese cultural heritage．Enjoying guqin，weiqi，calligraphy and painting are regarded as literary pursuits by scholars．He Yanzhi of the Tang Dynasty records in his Lanting Account:“One is elegant，erudite and good at writing and obtains the essence of qin，qi，shu，and hua．”
3.Athletic Games
1)Tug-of-War
Tug-of-war was also known as pulling a hook or tugging a hook in the ancient times．It can be traced back to late Spring and Autumn Period and early Warring States Period when the army of Chu employed a rope with a hook on one end to train soldiers to catch hold of their enemy's war chariots and boats．Later，it developed into a sport and popular folk custom．
Tug-of-war was initially prevalent in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River．While playing tug-of-war，both sides extend their utmost efforts in time with drum beating．Both participants and audience joyously shout to boost the pullers' morale，presenting a grand and liveliest scene．A flag stuck in the ground as the demarcation，the party who pulls the rope over the demarcation to its own side is the winner．
2)Dragon-Boat Racing
A bronze drum of Spring and Autumn Period was unearthed in the Yin County，Zhejiang Province，on which racing boat lines were found．It can be inferred that dragon-boat racing has its origin from the Spring and Autumn Period in the South．Archaeological researchers also found racing boat pictures on the bronze drum of the Han Dynasty unearthed at Stone Village Mountain in Yunnan Province．According to ancient records，the dragon boat in the Ming and Qing Dynasties was 10 zhang(about 33 meters)in length with 16 oars on either side．
On the racing boat，drums are arranged to boost up the morale of the race attendants and the atmosphere．Bladders of pig，live ducks or geese afloat on the surface of the river work as live marks instead of fixed poles of the dead marks．Many fleeting boats struggle for them，making the race more interesting and appealing．
Legend goes that Qu Yuan，a senior official in Chu，was unfortunately slandered and forced to exile and took his own life by jumping into the Miluo River on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month．People in Chu were in great sorrow after hearing the news and they drove boats to rescue him．The custom of dragon boat racing on that day was then formed and has gradually become a sport event．
3)Other Sport Games
Various sport activities exist in almost every historical period and the background of each culture．The long standing Chinese civilization has given birth to its own culture of Chinese sports．When ancient Greeks hosted the Olympic Games，some of the sport activities were similar to what existed in the ancient times of China，such as: horsemanship，skills of penetrating，resisting skills，military skills in martial arts，hunting，running，jumping and some water sports．Meanwhile，such sport games as cuju(ancient Chinese football)，nongwan，cockfight，dog racing，etc．were also getting popular in the developed areas of China．
When the Western countries held spearing，racing and other matches，the most popular sport in the old China was the“lishe”．Its scale，form and organization enjoyed a high recommendation like any other forms of the sport competitions．Even today，it has a high value of research in the area of the sport literature．Through the display of lishe，people will certainly have a deeper understanding of the ancient Chinese sports culture and they may have a brand new expectation for the culture of sports to reach the“harmonious”realm．
4.Gambling Games
1)Mahjong
Chinese gambling arts have a distant resource and a long stream through ages．They are synthesized and brought to a highest realm，i．e．the almost everyone known“the game of square city”—playing mahjong．Mahjong is also known as sparrow pieces or horse pieces．It grew out of Yezige game—a card game and evolved into a new game of bone cards in the Song Dynasty and was imperially named Xuanhe Cards by Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty．Until the Ming Dynasty，it adopted a new rule that the game should be played by 4 people．Because of this，it got the name of madiao with the meaning that a horse could not walk without 4 legs．As the father-inlaw of Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty，Tian Hongyu was the very No．One madiao veterinarian．In the Qing Dynasty，besides“tong”，“suo”and“wan”，“north”，“south”，“east”and“west”were added．What's more，“yaotou”was changed into“zhong”，“fa”and“bai”．Thus a new gambling art—mahjong—eventually took shape．
2)Cricket Fight
A cricket has many alternative names，among which“qiong”is a comparatively refined one．Because cricket produces sounds like quick weaving，it gets other names of jizhi，quzhi and cuzhi(hurry weaving)．It is absurd that history saw high officials Jia Shidao，the Cricket Prime Minister and Ma Shiying，the Cricket Xianggong．Their craziness about cricket fighting often resulted in their dereliction of duty．
In the Qing Dynasty，government had once supervised cricket raising．In addition，special cricket fighting venues were established and managers made profits by taking a percentage from the winnings．Influenced by the Han culture，the royal family of the Qing Dynasty and the Eight Banners descendants also took to playing this game．Later，even Empress Dowager Cixi was listed among the players．
The earliest historical records about cricket can be found in the Cricket Classic by Jia Shidao in the Southern Song Dynasty．It was called the encyclopedia of cricket，which has long been lost．
5.Seasonal Activities
1)Swinging
Swing，as a traditional sport and program on festive occasions，is very popular among the Hans and other minorities such as the Korean nationality and the Lahu nationality．In the Han and Wei Dynasties，swing already evolved from a military training program into an entertainment enjoyed by both the imperial palace and the ordinary families，especially on the Beginning of Spring(the first of the 24 solar terms)，Cold Food Festival and many other festivals．It became an indispensable program among the diversified celebrating activities．Swinging was so popular on Cold Food Festival that it was even referred to as Swinging Festival．
It is said that swinging originated from the reign of Wudi of the Han Dynasty．It was invented as a game for the imperial palace to celebrate his birthday and wish him long life of one thousand years．Therefore，at that time，it was called qianqiu(one thousand years)which was falsely rumored as qiuqian in later ages．
In the Tang Dynasty，this sport，prevalent in the imperial palace，was called half immortal game．Beautiful imperial concubines were gorgeously dressed up and richly ornamented and then sat or stood on swings with two hands gripping the ropes，swinging gracefully，dizzily pleasant as immortals．Hence the vivid name—half immortal game．
2)Kite Flying
Like many age-old cultural fruits，kites initially showed up in China．The northerners call it zhiyuan(paper sparrow hawk)，while the southerners call it yaozi (sparrow hawk)(see Chapter 17)．With muyuan(wooden sparrow hawks)as its original shape，a kite is a primitive aircraft made by ancestors．It is a pity that this kind of craft has been lost．Until the Han Dynasty，bamboo slips were chosen for the frame structure with paper or thin silk stuck together in shape of birds attached with a slanting line．Gripping the line，people flew the kite onto the sky with the help of the wind．Hence，it derived the name zhiyuan．Usually a bamboo flute is banded on a kite and gives forth sounds similar to those of zheng as a result of the blowing wind．Zheng is a 21-or 25-stringed plucked instrument in someway similar to zither．This is why kite is called fengzheng(wind zither)．
The legend behind it is that the master carpenter Lu Ban once cut a piece of bamboo and make it into a magpie shape．He called it wooden magpie．It kept flying on the sky for three days and nights．Therefore，if muyuan were taken as the earliest kite，then Lu Ban would be the inventor of kites．
Kite flying is a favorite pastime to people all over the world today．According to kite lore，the first kite was flown in China about 3，000 years ago．In modern China，kites are used not only as toys，but also as exquisite handicrafts worthy of collection．Tianjin has long enjoyed a great reputation as a kite provider．“Kite Wei”is a famous brand of kites in Tianjin，originated by folk craft master Wei Yuantai(1872-1961)．Kite Wei products once won a gold medal at San Francisco's Panama Pacific International Exposition in 1915．The city of Weifang，Shandong Province，hosts the Weifang International Kite Festival annually in mid-April．
6.Acrobatic Games
1)Playing Kongzhu
Kongzhu(meaning empty bamboo)，known abroad as diabolo or Chinese yo-yo outside of China，is originally a Chinese folk toy in which a round wooden box，dotted with several holes，is set at one end of a bamboo cylinder(single-domed)or both ends of it(double-domed)and when played with using a string，the box revolves quickly and produces a buzzing sound through its holes．The oldest records of the kongzhu appear in ancient Chinese literature written 1，700 years ago．It is considered to have been practiced for more than 2，000 years and to be one of the 3 major traditional folk games originated from China along with the shuttlecock and the kite．
The kongzhu is widely popularized among common people throughout China，hence the many and different names of it in dialects of regions such as kongzhu in north China;cheling or chetuoluo in the south of Yangtze River and in Taiwan; xianghuang in Sichuan Province，and so on．It is used for athletic pastime or for performance on festive occasions，and is later introduced into acrobatic show．It is possible to perform an enormous variety of tricks with the kongzhu．
2)Walking on Stilts
It is said that stilt walking(see picture 12-1)is originated from the ancient times when the primitive people bound sticks onto their legs to make them taller so that they could reach the wild fruits on the trees．
Walking on stilts is called“zougaoqiao”as well as“tagaoqiao”．According to historical records，it has been more than 2，500 years since walking on stilts showed up in China．
Walking on stilts has become a popular performance．In the northern part of China，stilt-walking performers usually play the roles of fisherman，matchmaker，foolish son of a high official，Taoist nun，monk，etc．in a very funny way．In the southern part of the country，the roles of Guan Gong(Lord Guan)，Daoji(commonly known as Ji Gong)，fairy He Xiangu，immortals and clowns are usually played．The performers sing and walk at the same time，acting vividly in an amusing way．
7.Festive Activities
1)Lion Dance and Dragon Dance
Lions live in Africa and South America．After the Han Dynasty，it was introduced into China．It is generally accepted that Lion Dance came into being as long ago as in the Three Kingdom，which was initially prevalent in the army and spread among the ordinary people afterwards．
Lion dance is a game very popular with the ordinary people．It usually appears in towns and villages on the Spring Festival and idolatrous processions，adding much to the joyous festive air．
The folk lion dance falls into the Northern Lion Dance(violent lion dance)and the Southern Lion Dance(gentle lion dance)．Violent lion dance attaches importance to the martial arts with nimble movements and high techniques．While gentle Lion dance focuses on facial expressions with exquisite movements which strives to depict lion's docile and lovely bearings and dynamic，frolicsome character．
Dragon dance is the vestige of totem worship in ancient times．The performance was not only to pray for rain and offer sacrifices but also to entertain．
During the Tang and Song periods，dragon lantern dance already became ordinary artistic forms in the performance of traditional programs of shehuo(a religious procession)and team dance．Dragon dance，in the Ming and Qing Dynasties，was listed among folk festival entertainments with peculiar flavor．
2)Waist Drum Dance
Waist-drum dance(see picture 12-2)boasts a long-standing tradition and enjoys great popularity in Ansai，northern Shaanxi Province．Characterized by a variety of drumbeats and accompanied with folk songs，percussion instruments and wind instruments，the unique Ansai drum dancing can be generally classified into“softswing dancing”and“martial arts dancing”．The performance scene is quite impressive with diversified arrays which integrate dance，song，gymnastics and vigorous martial arts movements．It serves as a display of the traits in the character of northern Shaanxi villagers，who are known far and wide as being valiant and heroic．Sometimes the number of performers may reach several hundred．The imposing scene is full of grandeur with great momentum．
It is a traditional custom for young people in villages in northern Shaanxi to do the waist drum dancing to greet Spring Festival and Lantern Festival．A dancer with a red drum tied to his waist holds a drumstick with red silk，beating the drum while dancing．The rhythmical drum beats are full of power and grandeur and the dance is vibrant and vigorous，reflecting the straightforward and uninhibited character of villagers in northern Shaanxi Province．At the climax of the dance，dancers beat drums while jumping into the air，shouting“Haihai”excitedly．It is an expression of their happy and passionate feelings．
3)Setting off Fireworks
Almost every country sets off fireworks on important festivals．This traditionally ceremonial entertainment originates from China．The Dynasties of Sui and Tang saw the earliest fireworks which fell into two categories．One is gun-powered wire firework:figures，objects，birds，flowers，pavilions，buildings and many other varied patterns were made of metal wires on which gunpowder is coated．They present varied fantastic scenes against the background of dark night．The other is tube firework with gunpowder put into a paper tube．After it is lighted，it will spurt multicolored flames．
In the Ming Dynasty，gun-powered wire fireworks changed from plane into threedimensional ones．Different layers of gun-powered wires were vertically and horizontally arranged and designed．Then it was put into a big box to be hung on a stand．Ignited，the wires in the box catch fire and fell slowly layer by layer，demonstrating magical and dimensional sights．
Word Bank
cavalrymen骑兵
emancipate解放，使不受束缚
predestined(命中)注定的
stretch一段连续的时间
enigma谜语
erudite博学的
chariot战车
demarcation边界，分界
slander诽谤
dereliction玩忽职守
magpie鹊，喜鹊
cylinder滚筒，圆柱体
idolatrous崇拜偶像的
frolicsome嬉戏的
valiant骁勇的
imposing壮观的
grandeur宏伟
vibrant生机勃勃的
uninhibited不受约束的
spurt喷射
参考译文
民间游艺是中国民族文化的重要组成部分。中国传统游戏包括儿童游戏、益智游戏、竞技游戏、博弈游戏、时令游戏和节日娱乐活动。相传中国唐宋时期非常盛行的卡片游戏在随后的元朝随着蒙古骑兵的西进传到欧洲，与异邦的民族文化杂交、融合，形成了扑克牌。20世纪初叶，又传回中国，至今花样翻新，盛行不衰。这说明，民间游艺总是按照民族传统传承的法则在民众中代代相传，与世界文化交融并不断推陈出新。民众赋予了民间游艺以顽强的生命力，同时又在游艺中获得放松和休息。
1.儿童游戏
1)捉迷藏
捉迷藏是最普通的童稚游戏，亦称“捉戏”或“藏朦”。只要不少于两人，便可玩起来。清人的著作中称:“儿童以绸扎眼相扑捉，谓之‘扎盲盲’。”其他还有“摸瞎鱼”“瞎子摸象”等与之类似的儿童喜爱的游戏。
相传唐代皇帝唐玄宗是捉迷藏的大玩家。清代乾隆、嘉庆时期宫廷画家沈庆兰曾创作了一幅《戏婴图》，画中即6名儿童在玩捉迷藏游戏。
2)跳绳
跳绳在明清时期叫“跳百索”或“跳白索”。唐宋时期的跳绳有“透索”“踏索”等名词记载。明代盛行集体跳绳，是正月闹元宵期间的节令游艺，大人孩子均可参加。清朝时，“跳白索”有短绳和长绳之分，短绳可单人跳或双人跳;长绳为集体跳。跳时一边唱歌或吟诵儿歌:“太平鼓，声咚咚，白光如轮舞索童。一童舞索一童唱，一童跳入光轮中。”
3)踢毽子
踢毽子，也称“踢燕子”，又叫“攒花”。传统的毽子是用铜板做底座，上面插上公鸡尾巴上的毛。北朝一天竺(旧时中国对印度的称呼)僧人去洛阳度“有缘”时，见一小儿站在井栏极为有限的平面上，用脚外侧一口气反踢了500下毽子，足见踢毽子的技巧在南北朝时已有很高的水准。唐代时，踢毽子愈加风行，据说河南少林寺僧人曾把踢毽子作为习练武术的辅助功。皇宫嫔妃亦爱此游戏，莫不竞相练习。
两宋时期是踢毽子游艺史上的一个重要发展阶段，那时这项游艺不仅名称已定型，且制作方式也和现在的毽子结构基本相同，并产生了边走边踢和以膝部、腹部、头部耍弄毽子的诸多技巧方式。根据相关研究，踢毽子的历史至少可以追溯到2 000多年前的汉朝。
2.益智游戏
1)七巧板
七巧板也称“七巧图”，是中国著名的拼图玩具，现已风行世界，号称“唐图”。七巧板的发明受唐代“燕几”的启发而发明。“燕几”是古代的一种桌子，可按坐客的人数拼装、拆卸，十分方便。
七巧板在元明两代有了长足发展。在明末清初，用薄木片或厚纸板做成的七件套组合，俗称“七巧牌”。嘉庆年间有位号为“养拙居士”的名人在结合拼玩实践的基础上写成《七巧图》一书，其形制乃成定式。
七巧板较容易拼搭，即便是孩子也能拼出。七巧板虽然简单，但非常有趣，连大人都会玩得入迷。在过去的100年中，西方出版了一些关于七巧板的书籍。
2)猜谜
猜谜语大约可称为中国最为古老的益智性游艺。周、秦的古籍中，人们则称猜谜或谜语为“隐语”，即出谜者借用隐喻、形似、暗示等手法，将所欲表达的事物隐藏其间。汉代，隐语开始朝两个方向发展，一是以特征描写为主的事为谜，二是以文字形义为主的谜语。前者是民间猜谜的主要模式，后者则成为文人斗智的游戏。
宋代还出现了靠制谜为主的专业性艺人，称“商谜”，他们在“瓦子”等娱乐场所设摊，聚众竞猜。猜中者获奖，猜不中则由猜客付钱。同时，这项游艺又同繁盛的元宵灯会相结合，产生出粘贴在灯笼上供赏灯者猜的谜语——灯谜。
3)解连环
解连环是中国传统的智力游戏，玩法是:把若干金属制成的圆环连成串，然后以解开为胜。连环的形制有5环、7环、9环、11环乃至13环等多种，其中最流行的是九连环。解连环的游戏起源于战国时代，此后历代不衰。宋代大诗人苏轼云:“连环易解如神手。”这从侧面反映了当时连环形制的繁复和开解之难。明代嘉靖年间来华的意大利数学家卡尔丹对“中国之环”推崇备至。
4)琴棋书画
“琴”为弦拨乐器，与齐特琴有某些类似的地方，原称琴或七弦琴(见第17章)，唐宋以后称作古琴，是古人用来祭祀、娱乐和表演的乐器。
“棋”在古代专指围棋，已有4 000多年历史，春秋战国时已成规模。围棋棋盘纵横各19条平行线，361个交叉点。棋子分黑白两色，各有180枚。
“书”指毛笔字的书写方法。它以线条的变化来表现风格和意境。
“画”以毛笔、墨及中国书画颜料，在特制的宣纸或绢上作画(宣纸是安徽宣城出产的高质量纸张)，在技法上有工笔、意笔、勾勒、没骨等技法形式。
琴、棋、书、画不仅是传统文人娱乐、消闲的模式，而且对传统文人人格的塑造、对中华文化遗产的创造都有不可估量的作用。琴棋书画是古代学者提高文化修养的方式。唐代的何延之在《兰亭记》中写道:“辩才博学工文，琴棋书画皆得其妙。”
3.健身游戏
1)拔河
拔河，古名“牵钩”“拖钩”等，源于春秋晚期。当时楚国军队用绳子一头拴上铁钩，训练士兵甩出绳子钩住敌人的战车和船只。后来，这个军事训练项目逐渐演变成体育活动和流行的民间习俗。
拔河最初在今长江中下游一带流行。操作时还要“鸣鼓”以整齐双方角力的节奏，场面恢宏。双方参与者和观众大声呼喊，为己方加油，气氛热烈。拔河时，一面旗子插在地上作为分界线，拔河的两队哪一方将绳拉过界线便赢。
2)赛龙舟
在浙江鄞县出土的春秋时代的铜鼓上，绘有竞渡船纹，可见赛龙舟的习俗起源于春秋时代的江南地区。考古工作者在云南石寨山发现的汉代铜鼓上，也有划船竞渡的图像。有典籍记载，明清时南方的龙舟长10丈(约33米)，两边各有木桨16支。
舟中设有锣鼓以振士气并渲染气氛，还常以漂在水面上的猪尿泡或鹅、鸭等“活标”取代位置固定的竹竿“死标”，由飞驰的龙舟竞夺目标，从而增强竞赛的娱乐性。
据传说，楚国大臣屈原遭到谗言，被流放到沅、湘流域，在阴历五月初五投汨罗江自尽。楚国百姓得知消息，十分悲痛，急划小船前往搭救。从此有了五月五赛龙舟这个民俗，后来逐渐普及为一项体育运动。
3)其他体育活动
几乎在所有历史时期和每一种文化背景中，都存在着各种各样的体育活动。源远流长的中国古老文明孕育了中国特有的体育文化。在古希腊人举办奥运会时，有些项目与中国古代存在的体育活动类似，如:骑术、射术、御术、军事武艺、田猎、跑、跳跃及水上活动等项目。同时，蹴鞠(古代中国足球)、斗鸡、走狗等体育娱乐活动也在当时中国发达地区流行起来。
当西方世界大规模举办投枪、赛跑等项目的比赛时，中华大地最盛行的体育项目是“礼射”，它的规模、形式与组织不逊于任何形式的体育竞赛，即使在现代也具有很高的体育文化学价值。通过礼射的展现，人们必定会对悠久的中国古代体育文化有深层的理解，并对体育文化最终达到“和谐”之境产生新的期待。
4.博弈游戏
1)麻将
中国博弈游戏源远流长，集大成者，就是无人不知的“方城之战”——搓麻将牌。麻将牌又称麻雀牌、马将牌。它形成于一种卡片游戏——“叶子格”，在宋代演变为一种新的牌戏——骨牌，并被南宋高宗明诏颁行天下，号称“宣和牌”。明代形成4人合局的定式，并产生出“马吊”的名称，取“马凭四条腿才能行走”之意。明朝崇祯皇帝的老丈人田弘遇就是天下第一“马吊郎中”。清代，人们在“筒”“索”“万”三门之外又加进“东”“南”“西”和“北”四种，并把三种“幺头”改为“中”“发”“白”。于是，一种新的牌型博弈——麻将，最终成型。
2)斗蟋蟀
蟋蟀的别名很多，比较古雅的是“蛩”，因其鸣声如“急织”，故又有“趋织”“促织”之名。荒唐的是历史上出现了官居高位、为玩蟋蟀小虫而把军国大事置之不顾的“蟋蟀宰相”贾似道和“蟋蟀相公”马士英。
清朝养斗蟋蟀，一度为官府所主持。此外民间也设有斗场，专门组织斗会从中抽头。由于受汉文化影响，清皇室贵族及八旗子弟也开始玩蟋蟀。后来，甚至连慈禧太后也加入其中。
关于蟋蟀的最早记录见于南宋贾似道的《蟋蟀经》，被称为蟋蟀百科全书，但是该书已经失传。
5.时令游戏
1)荡秋千
荡秋千，是中国传统竞技游戏，在汉族和北方的一些少数民族中流行，朝鲜族、拉祜族等同胞还将其作为欢庆节日的竞赛项目。汉魏时代，秋千已从军训项目演化为游艺，不仅宫人以此戏乐，也是民间在立春、寒食等传统节日中必不可少的娱乐形式。荡秋千之于寒食节非常普遍，以至于寒食节又被称为“秋千节”。
据说秋千源于汉武帝时代，宫人为给汉武帝庆寿并祈求他千秋之寿发明了这个游戏。当时被称为“千秋”，后讹传为“秋千”。
秋千在唐朝时盛行宫中，被叫作“半仙之戏”。容貌端丽、衣饰华贵的嫔妃手握两根悬绳，或坐或立在绳下所系的横板上，凌空荡逸，飘飘欲仙，故而得名“半仙之戏”。
2)放风筝
像许多古老文化成果一样，风筝首先出现在中国的上空。中国北方称之为“纸鸢”(纸雀鹰)，南方则称之为“鹞子”(见第17章)。纸鸢的前身是春秋战国时期的木鸢，其实是古人所制的早期飞行器。可惜这种技艺久已失传。直到汉朝，由于制作技术的进步和造纸术的出现，木鸢才改用细竹为骨，用纸或薄绢粘贴成鹊鸟的形状，再斜坠一线，可以引线乘风而上，所以人们就称之为纸鸢。纸鸢上还拴上竹笛，微风吹动，嗡嗡有声，宛如乐器——筝(21弦或25弦乐器，与齐特琴有相似之处)，“风筝”由此而得名。
相传鲁班曾将竹子劈开削光滑，用火烤弯曲，做成了喜鹊的样子，称为“木鹊”，在空中飞翔达三天三夜。因此，如果说木鸢是最早的风筝，那么鲁班就是风筝的鼻祖。
放风筝是今天世界各地的人们都喜爱的一种娱乐活动。对风筝历史的研究表明，风筝起源于中国，已有3 000多年历史。现今在中国，风筝不仅是一种玩具，还是一种有收藏价值的精美工艺品。天津作为风筝产地之一，久负盛名。“风筝魏”是天津风筝的著名品牌，为民间工艺大师魏元泰(1872年-1961年)所创。他制作的风筝曾于1915年在旧金山举行的巴拿马—太平洋国际博览会上获得金奖。而山东省潍坊市每年四月中旬举行潍坊国际风筝节。
6.杂技游艺
1)抖空竹
空竹，在国外被称作“迪亚波罗”或“中国悠悠”，它原是中国的一种用竹木制成的民间玩具，在竹制圆柱的一端(单头)或两端(双头)安上周围有几个小孔的木制圆盒，用绳子抖动圆柱，圆盒就迅速旋转，发出嗡嗡的声音。有关这种游戏的最早记述见于1 700年前的文学作品中，一般认为至少已有2 000年的历史，跟踢毽子、放风筝同为起源于中国的三大民间传统游戏项目。
空竹在中国民间相当流行，因此各地方言中，空竹有不同的名称。如在北方叫空竹，在江南和台湾地区叫车铃或车陀螺，在四川叫响簧等。空竹平日用来健身，节日可用于表演，现在空竹已成为杂技表演项目，用空竹可以表演展示许多技巧。
2)踩高跷
据说踩高跷(见图12-1)这种形式，原是古人为了采集树上的野果为食，在自己的腿上绑两根长棍而发展出来的一种跷技活动。
踩高跷，也称走高跷或踏高。据史书记载，中国人踩高跷的历史，至少也有2 500年以上。
踩高跷，是民间盛行的一种群众性技艺表演。北方的高跷秧歌中，扮演的人物有渔翁、媒婆、傻公子、道姑、和尚等，表演者扮相滑稽。南方的高跷，扮演的多是戏曲中的角色，关公、济公、何仙姑、神仙、小丑皆有。他们边演边唱，生动活泼，逗笑取乐，如履平地。
7.节日活动
1)舞狮与舞龙
狮子生活在非洲和南美，汉朝以后传入中国。一般认为，舞狮起源于三国时代，开始时流行于军中，后来传至民间。
舞狮是中国民间普遍流行的一种游戏活动。每逢春节或迎神赛会，它常出现于城镇和乡村，为佳节增添了浓郁的欢乐气氛。
中国民间舞狮有北方武狮和南方文狮之分。武狮着重于武功，动作矫健，技巧性高;文狮着重于表情动作细腻，着意刻画狮子温驯可爱的神态和表现狮子活泼好动、善于嬉戏的性格。
舞龙源于古代的图腾崇拜思想。其演出目的主要是用于观赏，而不仅仅是祈雨和祭祀。
在唐、宋时期的“社火”“舞队”表演中，舞龙灯已是常见的表演形式。舞龙在明、清时，更以其独特的风韵出现在民间娱乐活动之中。
2)打腰鼓
腰鼓舞(见图12-2)历史悠久，在陕北安塞十分流行。陕北安塞腰鼓鼓点花样多，分文鼓与武鼓两种。表演时鼓舞与武术、体操、民歌、打击乐、吹奏乐结合于一体。表演场面雄浑，队形多变，以体现陕北汉子剽悍、英武的风格而闻名遐迩。有时表演者多达数百人，场面十分壮观。
陕北青年打腰鼓迎接农历新年和元宵节是传统习俗。鼓手腰系红色小鼓，手拿系着红绸带的鼓槌，边击鼓边舞蹈。节奏激昂、气势磅礴的鼓点和着刚劲奔放、豪迈粗犷的舞姿，高潮时边击鼓边跳跃，同时口中高喊“嗨嗨”。场面壮阔，气魄震撼人心，表现了陕北农民憨厚朴实、悍勇威武而又开朗乐观的性格。
3)放烟花
世界各国每逢节庆之夜都要燃放烟花，这种传统的庆典性游艺发源于中国。隋唐时期产生了中国最早的烟花:一类是药线烟花，先用金属丝编排成人物花鸟、亭台楼阁等各式图案，金属丝上涂药剂后称“药线”。点燃药线，各式图案在夜幕的衬托下幻丽奇生。另一类称“筒子烟花”，即把烟花药剂装入纸筒内，点燃后往外喷射五彩火焰。
明代，药线烟花由平面转为立体，把多层“药线”纵横编排放入大盒子里，再悬在架上。点燃后，盒子药线逐层脱落燃烧，可以幻演出多层形象。
Exercises
Section A Thought-provoking questions
1．What are the basic materials needed to make a traditional shuttlecock？
2．How can games of shuttlecock and rope skipping benefit children physically？
3．What are the four arts of the old Chinese scholars？
4．What do you know about Jia Shidao？
Section B Cloze
Shuttlecock kicking is a popular folk game．Some records 1 its origin as far back as the Han Dynasty．This game prevailed during the Tang Dynasty，when shops 2 in shuttlecocks 3 appeared．In the Ming Dynasty，formal competition of shuttlecock kicking was 4 ．In the Qing Dynasty，shuttlecock kicking reached its 5 in terms 6 both making techniques and the kicking skills．
As a traditional game unique 7 China，shuttlecock kicking is fun to do and provides vigorous physical exercise as well．There are endless variations to the styles and methods of 8 ，some of 9 include kicking the shuttlecock back and 10 between two people．Those who 11 to a high 12 of mastery can perform some truly impressive feasts．The challenge of the increasingly difficult levels of shuttlecock kicking has made it a popular game 13 Chinese children．This game helps them 14 their legs and enhance their concentration．
In the 1930s，the sport of shuttlecock kicking was in 15 for a time．After the establishment of new China，it 16 vitality and the first formal National Shuttlecock Kicking Competition was held in Guangzhou in 1956．
To 17 a shuttlecock，a piece of cloth wrapped around a coin is needed，and then a 18 of feathers from cock's tails is inserted into a tube 19 to the coin base，which retards the 20 and descending of the shuttlecock．
※The one who merely knows the value of study is not so good as the one who takes an interest in studying.The one who takes an interest in studying is not so good as the one who delights in studying.
From Analects of Confucius
(知之者不如好之者，好之者不如乐之者。)
——《论语》
※A young man should be respectful to his parents in the home，and to his elders outside.His words should be cautious and trustworthy.He should care for people in general and seek the company of benevolent men.If having accomplished these he still has energy to spare，he should study.
From Analects of Confucius
(弟子入则孝，出则悌，谨而信，泛爱众，而亲仁。行有余力，则以学文。)
——《论语》