All contests of skill or strength, whether ancient or modern, fall under the name of "games." In the Song dy…
All contests of skill or strength, whether ancient or modern, fall under the name of "games."
In the Song dynasty, there was a popular game known as "fish fighting." Records of an Official's Travels notes that the Sanshan Stream produced small fish with alternating red and black markings. Children in the village would raise these fish and make them fight for sport. These fish were natural fighters, flaring their gills and biting aggressively when they encountered rivals. Villagers often kept them in basins, competing with one another in fish fights for amusement.