The Daur people have always been known for their valiancy and skillfulness in battle. Ever since ancient times, they have done well in riding and shooting, wrestling and playing field hockey.

Year：2006

Sort：Acrobatics & Sports

Area：Inner Mongolia Serial

No.：Ⅵ-15

Declarer：Morin Dawa Autonomous Banner of Inner Mongolia autonomous region

The Daur people have always been known for their valiancy and skillfulness in battle. Ever since ancient times, they have excelled in riding and shooting, wrestling and field hockey.

Field hockey, known as "Beikuo" in the Daur language, is a traditional sport with a long history. Historical records make reference to a sport dubbed "hitting a ball while walking", which is similar to the present-day field hockey. It gained popularity during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and it is fortunate that hockey similar variation on the tradition has been inherited from one generation to another in the Daur regions.

The stick the Daur people use to play the game was about one meter long, mostly made of oak, and hooked at the bottom. The ball is made of apricot root or felt and is as big as a tennis ball. The original game doesn't include shooting goals; instead, both sides draw a boundary line, and if either side crosses the other's boundary, they win. In a modern, formal game, a goal is set up at each end of the field, 50 meters apart, and the first side to score a goal wins.

On festivals or happy occasions the Daur people will hold a "Beikuo" game in which everyone takes part. At night, they will play the game with a fireball, made up of birch tree knots stuffed with pine cones or other flammable objects, or a felt ball dipped into oil. The ball is lit when the teams face-off, and the teams fiercely compete to gain control of the ball, which draws bright lines across the field when it is passed.

In 1976, the first national hockey team was founded in Morin Dawa Autonomous Banner, filling the gap in China's list of national sports. The autonomous banner was later called the "Hometown of Field Hockey."