Bulu
01 · Historical Records
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 · Core Techniques & Process
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.
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.
Customs of the bulu
The rules of the bulu at home and abroad: hung on the wall, never carried into another's yurt, worn at the belt when travelling.
Mandula's collection
The inheritor Mandula gathered over a hundred bulu from the Yuan to the Qing and drew up rules for the modern competitive form.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
According to differences in shape and use, bulu is divided into two main categories: distance-throwing bulu and accuracy-throwing bulu.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Bulu has continued to the present through family and collective transmission, and has become a competition and performance event at ethnic-minority sports games and recreational gatherings. Mandula (per the official archival record of the associated inheritor): Male, Mongol ethnicity, born in December 1945, a native of Kulun Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. A bulu-throwing skill performer. He has long collected original bulu of various kinds and mastered the making of traditional bulu, their use in daily life and the rules of the game. He owns more than one hundred traditional bulu dating from the Yuan to the Qing dynasty. On the basis of traditional bulu, he produced standardized competition bulu and established competition rules for the new type. He has long devoted himself to introducing, publicizing and promoting the sport of bulu; thanks to his efforts, bulu competition became an official event at the Inner Mongolia Ethnic Sports Games and the Nadam Fair. He has served many times as an organizer or chief referee of bulu competitions, and has taught bulu-throwing technique to students at many schools. He is a representative inheritor of bulu, a national-level intangible cultural heritage item of the fifth batch. He also frequently goes into classrooms at universities and secondary and primary schools to teach and explain the basic knowledge, techniques and skills of bulu.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Mandoula 05-2567
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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