Did Chinese invent golf?
It is reported that China claims golf origins...
I know Japanese language is orginated from Chinese language, and even Japanese culture was inspired by Chinese one.
In fact, Everything on the earth is originally from China.
This is China...
But I like their way of thinking that China is no. 1.
It seems that America was also found by Chinese...
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Did Chinese invent golf?
10.06AM, Wed Apr 26 2006
An exhibition has opened in Beijing that claims the Chinese were playing golf 1,000 years ago.
Golf is widely believed to have been invented by the Scots in the 15th century but some Chinese historians argue that the game was being played in China by the year 945.
On show in at the exhibition are copies of paintings from the 13th and 14th centuries that show Chinese noblemen hitting balls into holes with clubs that look remarkably similar to modern golf clubs. The originals are safely kept inside the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Chinese experts point to evidence of a game called chuiwan - "chui" meaning to hit and "wan" meaning ball - and say the game was taken to Europe by Mongolian travellers.
Li Yong, the deputy secretary of China's golfing association, said: "China's ancient Chuiwan is very similar to modern golf in regards to equipment, course, rules and even etiquette.
"It appeared earlier not only than the golf that originated in Scotland in the middle of 15th century, but also before other golf-like ball games that started in other parts of the world. "Therefore, it is safe to say, China's ancient Chuiwan is the mother of modern golf."
Zhang Xiaoning, an official from China's general administration for sport, said."I think further historical research is still needed, because we cannot say for sure by now that golf was brought to the west from China. I think it would be too early to say that. There is still a lot of research work to be done."
Players used ten clubs, including a cuanbang (equivalent to a driver today) and a shaobang (a three wood or spoon).
Royalty inlaid their clubs with jade, edged them with gold and decorated the shafts elaborately. Along with the wall paintings comes a book, Wanjing, or Manual of the Ball Game, which was published in 1282 and stands as the first known guide to the game that seems a lot like golf.
Famously, China gave the world gunpowder, the umbrella, printing, paper and recently laid a cautious claim to the discovery of America.
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Did Chinese invent golf?