Hockey Field

Hockey Field

Hockey Field

Inner Mongolia’s Hulunbuir, Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner (referred to as Morin Banner or Da Banner), is known as the “Hometown of Hockey.” The sport of hockey has been played here for nearly a thousand years and has become a source of pride and a symbol for the Daur people. Here, everyone from young children just a few years old to seniors in their seventies or eighties can pick up a stick and show their skills. The torch of hockey has been passed down from generation to generation, and the number of people passionate about the sport continues to grow.

As early as 1989, Morin Banner was named the “Hometown of Hockey” by the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission, which was both recognition of and encouragement for the development of hockey in the region.

On May 20, 2006, the State Council announced the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage listings, selecting a total of 518 items nationwide. Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region had 17 items included, three of which were from Hulunbuir City, two of them from Morin Banner—one being the Daur people’s “Ruogele Dance” and the other the Daur people’s “Hockey Competitive Sport.” This shows that not only is Morin Banner’s hockey sport under national protection, but it also has greater room for development. The Daur people have experienced battles resisting Tsarist Russia and guarding the frontier, and through long-term combat life, they gradually developed a national character that is resourceful, brave, hardworking, and optimistic. These inherent traits have become an intrinsic advantage in developing the sport of hockey. Today, in the Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner, hockey—rich in profound ethnic cultural heritage—has become a source of pride and a symbol for the Daur people.

Morin Banner has trained a large number of outstanding hockey athletes for the nation. Nowadays, players and coaches of the Inner Mongolia team all come from Morin Banner. In August 1978, when Morin Banner was part of the Daxing’anling region of Heilongjiang Province, the Morin Banner hockey team represented Heilongjiang Province’s first team in the National Hockey Competition and won first place. In October 1979, representing Inner Mongolia Province’s first team, the Morin Banner hockey team competed in Beijing and once again took first place. In November 1980, a Chinese team primarily composed of 10 players from the Morin Banner hockey team went to Singapore to participate in the first Asian Cup Hockey Qualifiers. They defeated Malaysia, one of the world’s top ten teams, and won third place, raising the bright five-star red flag on the field and bringing honor to the motherland, causing a sensation in the international sports community. Mr. Awif, Secretary-General of the Asian Hockey Federation, praised: “It is astonishing that China could defeat a strong team like Malaysia in just three to five years.” In December 1990, Guo Xudong from Morin Banner’s hockey team was selected for the Asian Hockey Federation Team to participate in the first Five Continents Cup Hockey Tournament held in Malaysia, where the Asian Federation Team won first place. In 1980, Morin Banner established the first women’s hockey team in China, pioneering the women’s hockey movement in the country. In 1982, the team participated in the 7th National Hockey Championship under the name of the Inner Mongolia team, winning first place with a record of two wins in two matches.