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Dongshan township in Hechi promotes Yao crossbow culture

By (chinadaily.com.cn)
2017-04-12

A crossbow competition was held by the Dongshan township, Heci city in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on March 24, with the aim of promoting the traditional sports of the Yao people.

The competition took place at Wenqian village for the sixth year, attracting players and a large crowd from all eight villages in Dongshan.

The host team from Wenqian delivered a strong performance, winning the team competition and men's individual events, and finishing second in the women's.

Besides the contest, the Dongshan people expanded the influence of their crossbow culture by competing in national and regional ethnic minorities' sports meetings. By 2016, they had won 201 gold medals, including nine national and 96 province gold medals.

Shooting crossbows was listed as an ethnic sports item by Guangxi in 1986, a move aimed at preserving the special culture, due to the long history of Dongshan Yao residents using crossbows as a tool for hunting and protecting themselves since the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Hechi is located in the northwestern part of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and the southern foothills of the Yungui Plateau.