The Golden Age of Chinese Sumo

Long before sumo became Japan’s national sport, it flourished as a popular pastime in Song Dynasty China (960–1279 AD). Far from being a niche activity, sumo evolved into a professionalized spectacle with organized clubs, national tournaments, and even celebrity athletes.

### Organized Sumo Culture

Song-era sumo societies like the Jiaodi She (Wrestling Club) and Xiangpu She (Sumo Club) trained competitors for high-stakes competitions. The Water Margin novel describes a grand tournament at Mount Tai’s Daiyue Temple during religious festivals, where winners received silver cups, silk robes, and official commendations. These events attracted fighters like Zhou Jikuai (“Fast Zhou”) and Iron Pole Han—colorfully nicknamed athletes who became household names.

### Women Sumo Wrestlers and Imperial Scandal

One of the Song’s most fascinating subcultures was nüzhan—female sumo wrestlers with stage names like “Rival Guan Suo” and “Black Fourth Sister.” Their performances in entertainment districts often opened shows, drawing crowds with acrobatic displays. The practice even reached imperial circles: Emperor Renzong famously watched women wrestle at the Xuande Gate during a lantern festival, provoking scholar Sima Guang’s ire for violating court decorum. Despite moralists’ objections, female sumo thrived in markets and temples.

The Song Dynasty Toy Revolution

Archaeological finds and texts like Dream Pool Essays reveal an astonishing consumer culture where toy markets supported specialized artisans—a rarity in premodern societies.

### Best-Selling Playthings

– Miniature Machinery: Spring Festival saw stalls selling intricate wooden ox carts with moving parts, while Qingming Festival featured pendulum-driven doll swings.
– Edible Entertainment: “Drama candies” like shrimp-whisker sugar doubled as snacks and play items.
– The Original Action Figures: Terra-cotta moheluo dolls (inspired by Hindu mahoraga deities) wore silk outfits and sometimes had articulated limbs, foreshadowing modern collectibles.

### Seasonal Toy Frenzies

During Qixi Festival (China’s Valentine’s Day), Kaifeng’s markets transformed into toy wonderlands:
– “Water Float”: Wax ducks and fish that bobbed in bowls
– “Grain Boards”: Miniature farm dioramas with sprouting wheat
– Mechanical Lanterns: Hydraulic-powered rotating displays at Yuanxiao Festival

As poet Zhou Wenpu noted, such luxuries reflected Song society’s unprecedented prosperity and leisure time.

Games: From Tea Houses to Global Influence

### Board Games and Social Spaces

Urbanites frequented tea houses to play:
– Chinese Chess: Now featuring cannons—a nod to Song military innovations
– Shuanglu: A dice-based race game resembling backgammon
– Dama: Poet Li Qingzhao’s favorite, involving complex horse-piece maneuvers

### The Card Game That Conquered the World

Song merchants sold shanpai’er (fan-shaped cards) for yezi xi—a trick-taking game with 40 cards divided into coin and string suits. Historians like Abel Rémusat trace modern playing cards to this game, likely transmitted westward by Marco Polo. Meanwhile, yezi xi evolved domestically into mahjong, making the Song Dynasty the unlikely ancestor of both poker and mahjong cultures.

Legacy of a Playful Empire

The Song’s leisure revolution demonstrated how economic growth (per capita GDP reportedly matched 1700s Europe) fueled cultural innovation. From sumo’s athletic drama to mechanical toys anticipating the Industrial Age, these pastimes reveal a society that valued creativity, competition, and the joy of play—a legacy enduring in global gaming traditions today.