Chinese wrestling dates far back to very early times. It is said to have been used about five thousand years ago by the Chiyou tribes for training their soldiers. When China was unified by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC, wrestling was adopted as an important exercise in military training. After the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern dynasties (AD 220-589), wrestling gradually developed into a competitive, recreational sport.
In the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) there were professional wrestlers and special platforms for wrestling contests in imperial palaces. By the Song Dynasty (960-1279) professional wrestlers began to appear among the populace and platforms were erected for national contests. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) there was a battalion of professional wrestlers called Shan Pu Ying whose members performed at all important banquets.
There were many different styles of wrestling in ancient China, with a great variety of names as well. This may be seen from the images recorded in cultural relics of different periods. Lacquer paintings unearthed in Hubei Province and murals on the ancient tombs at Donggou, Jilin Province, show pictures of two naked men locked in wrestling resembling modern Japanese sumo. Pictures on bronze articles unearthed at Keshengzhuang, Shanxi Province, show a variety of wrestling skills such as catching, holding, tumbling, tripping, throwing and rolling, which can be seen in modern Chinese-style wrestling.
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