Beikou
Encyclopedia
Beikou is a game similar to field hockey
or street hockey
. It has been played for about 1,000 years by the Daur people, an ethnic group from Inner Mongolia
, China
.
The game involves teams of men playing a ball-like knob of apricot
root (in lieu of a ball) with long wooden branches (in lieu of sticks). At night, the game is played with a felt
-covered ball that is set alight. A game is reported to last for two periods of roughly 15 minutes.
When Western field hockey was introduced to China, it was taken up enthusiastically by the Daurs, whose affinity for the game has helped China to improve its global standing in field hockey. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
, a third of the Chinese men's field hockey team
was from Morin Dawa, a city in the Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner
in Inner Mongolia.
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
or street hockey
Street hockey
Street hockey is a variation of the sport of ice hockey where the game is played on foot or with inline skates or roller skates. The object of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by shooting a ball or puck into the opposing team's net...
. It has been played for about 1,000 years by the Daur people, an ethnic group from Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
The game involves teams of men playing a ball-like knob of apricot
Apricot
The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
root (in lieu of a ball) with long wooden branches (in lieu of sticks). At night, the game is played with a felt
Felt
Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size....
-covered ball that is set alight. A game is reported to last for two periods of roughly 15 minutes.
When Western field hockey was introduced to China, it was taken up enthusiastically by the Daurs, whose affinity for the game has helped China to improve its global standing in field hockey. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, a third of the Chinese men's field hockey team
China national field hockey team
The China national field hockey team is the national team of the People's Republic of China that participates in international field hockey matches and tournaments...
was from Morin Dawa, a city in the Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner
Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner
Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner is one of three autonomous banners in Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, created for the Daur people. It lies on the Nen River, borders Heilongjiang province to the east, south, and southwest, and is under the administration of Hulunbuir City.-References:*...
in Inner Mongolia.