Huajian
01 · Historical Records
The origins of Qingzhou Hua Jian (flower shuttlecock kicking) can be traced back to cuju (ancient ball-kicking), which flourished in Qingzhou during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Cuju later evolved into kicking the furry ball, and then into shuttlecock kicking, continuing in Qingzhou for more than two thousand years. Qingzhou, one of the nine ancient provinces, was for successive dynasties a key stronghold in eastern Shandong, with a flourishing marketplace culture; because shuttlecock kicking is limited by neither venue nor number of participants, it became a common amusement at temple fairs and in courtyards, and gradually differentiated into shuttlecock varieties for fitness, display, and competition.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Hua Jian is also called "kicking the flower shuttlecock" or "kicking shuttlecock." In everyday practice, shuttlecock kicking builds the body and strengthens health; in competition, the assessment criteria are the number of tricks, the difficulty level, the duration, and the grace of the movements. Qingzhou Hua Jian has a long history stretching far back. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Qingzhou already saw the flourishing of recreational activities such as cuju (ball-kicking). Cuju gradually evolved into kicking the furry ball, and further into shuttlecock kicking, with a history of more than two thousand years to this day. Qingzhou Hua Jian has accumulated richly in both crafting technique and kicking technique. Qingzhou Hua Jian comes in rich varieties: whether recreational, fitness, display, or competition shuttlecocks, all are scientifically proportioned and finely made. Kicking the flower shuttlecock demands a graceful posture and stance, mind following intent, eye reaching the foot, nimble reactions, the person dancing with the shuttlecock and the shuttlecock turning with the person; low kicks are like butterflies in flight, and high kicks like swallows darting through the air. Qingzhou shuttlecock kicking has a great variety of tricks — 108 forms in all, namely the 36 Tiangang (Heavenly Spirits) forms and the 72 Disha (Earthly Fiends) forms. Qingzhou Hua Jian integrates heaven, earth, and human culture, and is rich in profound traditional cultural meaning.
The thirty-six heavenly moves
The upper half of the 108 moves, named after Qingzhou's local customs and scenery.
The seventy-two earthly moves
The lower half of the 108 moves, the accumulated names of techniques built up over generations.
From cuju to feather-ball kicking
The lineage of the skill, from Warring States cuju to the kicking of a feathered shuttle, over more than two thousand years.
Play, fitness, display and competition shuttles
The four types of Qingzhou shuttle, all carefully made, matching the town's accumulation in both making and kicking.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Qingzhou Hua Jian is mainly distributed in Qingzhou City and has now spread to Weifang City. The 36 Tiangang forms are named by closely combining the images of flower-shuttlecock kicking techniques with the local conditions, customs, mountains, and scenery of Qingzhou, giving them a distinctly Qingzhou local character; the 72 Disha forms are the names of the various technical movements of shuttlecock kicking accumulated over successive generations.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Huajian.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The technique of Qingzhou Hua Jian takes 108 forms as its master outline, namely the 36 Tiangang forms and the 72 Disha forms. The 36 Tiangang forms are named by combining shuttlecock-kicking movements with the local conditions, customs, mountains, and scenery of Qingzhou; the 72 Disha forms are the names of technical movements accumulated over successive generations. In kicking, emphasis is placed on graceful posture and stance, mind following intent, eye reaching the foot, the person dancing with the shuttlecock and the shuttlecock turning with the person; low kicks are like butterflies in flight, and high kicks like swallows darting through the air. Locally, the number of tricks, difficulty level, duration, and grace of movement serve as the assessment criteria for competition, making Hua Jian both a means of fitness and an art that can be appreciated and competed in.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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