ABSTRACT
The integration of military and sports development reflected the martial spirit of the Mongolians. The rulers of Song placed great emphasis on military training and martial skills. For instance, Zhao Kuangyin set out to strengthen his armies through military training in person shortly after being enthroned as Emperor Taizu of Song. Cuju is a type of ball game played during the Song Dynasty based on earlier forms played during the Tang Dynasty. Polo was another popular sport, second to Cuju in the Song Dynasty. In this period, there were two goalposts in the polo game, and an emphasis was placed on the rites. Weiqi was the most popular board game played by all social classes in the Song Dynasty, which included amateur and professional players. The professional players generally commanded a very high level of skills. Apart from military martial skills, entertaining sports were also developed during the Yuan Dynasty, included willow-shooting, which was a popular one.
