Mandoula

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Mandoula, Male, Mongolian, from Kulunqi, Inner Mongolia, is a fifth-batch national representative bearer of Bulu (Ⅵ-71). The tradition is documented in Kulunqi, Inner Mongolia. Within the regional tradition and school record of Bulu in Kulunqi, Inner Mongolia: According to differences in shape and use, bulu is divided into two main categories: distance-throwing bulu and accuracy-throwing bulu. According to A Study of Genghis Khan's Art of War and The Chronicle of Genghis Khan, bulu belongs to the category of throwing weapons; like bows and arrows and Mongolian sabers and spears, it was an important weapon used by Mongol cavalry in the 13th century to fight the enemy in close combat. Playing bulu gradually evolved into an entertaining competitive pastime and fitness activity, widely popular among the people.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

He was born in December 1945 in Kulun Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and is of Mongol ethnicity. He is a performer of the Bulu throwing technique. He has long collected original Bulu pieces and masters the making of traditional Bulu, its use in daily life and the rules of the game. He owns more than one hundred traditional Bulu dating from the Yuan dynasty to the Qing dynasty. On the basis of the traditional Bulu he has made standardised Bulu for competition and has drawn up competition rules for the new type. He has always worked to introduce, publicise and promote the sport of Bulu; through his efforts Bulu competition has become an official event of the Inner Mongolia Traditional Ethnic Minority Sports Games and of the Nadam Festival. He has served many times as organiser or chief referee of Bulu competitions and has taught Bulu throwing skills to students in many schools. Within the documented technical tradition of Bulu in Kulunqi, Inner Mongolia: Bulu, also called "manchuriga," means "throwing club" in Mongolian; in ancient times it was a weapon for defending against enemies and a tool for hunting, and it later developed into a Mongolian folk sports competition and fitness recreation. Bulu is practiced in the eastern leagues and cities of Tongliao City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region — represented by Kulun Banner — as well as in Mongolian communities in other provinces and cities. Mongol knights, hunters and herdsmen paid great attention to training in bulu-throwing technique and often competed to see who threw best. The bulu is shaped like a sickle and consists of three parts — head, body and handle — weighing between 150 and 500 grams. Accuracy-throwing bulu further includes the "duzheng" (gyro-mounted) bulu, the "tugulagen" (lead-weighted) bulu and the "hayamula" (far-throwing) bulu. Traditional bulu are made from natural tree forks; the production process includes selecting and cutting the wood, boiling and steeping it in medicated water, shaping and drying, sanding and lacquering, carving patterns and mounting the gyro weight, and so on — the workmanship is exquisite, flight performance is good, and use is safe. In folk custom, the bulu should be hung on the wall, not carried into another person's yurt, and worn at the waist when traveling. Bulu competitions take two forms: distance throwing and accuracy throwing. Distance throwing is basically similar to the javelin throw. Accuracy competitions are divided into categories such as fixed targets and moving targets, and accuracy throwing from the ground or from horseback; throwing posture is not subject to any restriction, and rankings are determined by the number of points scored by hitting the target. Bulu serves to build the body, provide competitive recreation, assist in herding and hunting, and offer self-defense; it can strengthen the constitution, build power, train visual estimation, physical endurance and limb agility, and inspire fighting spirit and cohesion. Some schools offer bulu courses with formal instruction and examinations, breaking with the historical tradition that "women do not throw bulu." As a form of traditional sport, bulu reflects the production and daily practices of the Mongolian people as well as their veneration of nature; it combines historical depth, mass appeal, artistry and competitive recreation, and plays a positive role in strengthening community cohesion and popularizing and developing ethnic sports. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The duzheng (weighted) bulu": A target-throwing bulu fitted with a weight for steadier flight and better accuracy. "The tugulagen (lead-inlaid) bulu": A target bulu with lead inlaid into the wood for extra weight, distinct from the weighted type. "The hayamula (distance) bulu": The distance branch of the bulu, used in throwing competitions run much like the javelin. "Making a traditional bulu": The hand process from fork to finished bulu: selecting wood, boiling in liquor, shaping, drying, polishing, painting and inlaying.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

He is a representative bearer of Bulu, a fifth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. He also frequently goes into university, middle school and primary school classrooms to pass on and explain the basic knowledge, techniques and skills of Bulu.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Mandoula · National Representative Bearer Archive