In ancient China, games on ice and snow were quite popular in the northern parts of the country. History books say that people of the Nanshiwei ethnic group living near the Changbai Mountains "rode on wooden boards and sped over the ice, often for hundreds of paces at a stretch."
Nurhachi (1559-1626), father of the first emperor of the Oing Dynasty (1644-1911), he had skating included in his military training programme when he set up the state of Jin in his native place in northeast China. After occupying areas to the south of the Shanhaiguan Pass, he made it a rule to review his troops on skates.
During the Oing Dynasty, big sports meets on ice were held around Winter Solstice (22nd solar term) every year in the Taiyi Pool (present-day Beihai Park and Zhongnanhai Lake in Beijing). Three kinds of games were contested: First, speed skating which involved 1,000-odd contestants skating over a certain distance in given postures; second, figure skating in which the skaters performed highy difficult stunts on the ice; and third, kicking a ball on ice, contested by dozens of people divided into two sides.
In addition to the games on ice played in the imperial palace, skating of various descriptions was also popular among the folks in northern China.
According to historical records, boots with skates were already in use at that time. "Those gliding over the ice wore boots with sharp iron blades underneath. They sped off like shooting stars or lightning, vying to be the first to come home. "
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