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Yating Yang

In ancient China, women’s sumo was a popular form of entertainment in which participants wore minimal clothing that exposed their arms, backs, navels and lower abdomens, drawing significant attention.
Sumo is widely known as Japan’s national sport, but forms of wrestling also existed in ancient China.
Not only did men compete, but women also took part, making it a popular form of public entertainment. Even emperors would watch the “performances”.

It is also believed that China has some of the earliest records of female sumo wrestlers.
The sport is thought to have originated as a form of military training before gradually evolving into a performance art.
During the Three Kingdoms period (220–265), Sun Hao of Wu ordered palace women to take off their clothes and wrestle, a fact found in early court records.
By the Sui (581-617) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, wrestling had developed into a professional form of entertainment, reaching its peak during the Song dynasty (960-1279).

During the Song dynasty, the development of commerce and handicrafts led to a booming urban economy.
Large cities like Bianliang and Lin’an saw their populations grow to hundreds of thousands, and wazi, a form of entertainment venue, began to appear in these cities, offering a variety of leisure activities for urban residents.
Of the various performances in wazi, sumo wrestling was the most popular.
Although highly competitive, it was primarily designed for watching: entertainment came first, competition second.

Famous female sumo wrestlers of the time included Sai Guansuo, Xiao Sanniang and Hei Sijie.
In the wazi, some female performers would often begin with light acts such as acrobatics or magic tricks to attract crowds.
Once the audience had gathered, the official sumo performances would begin.
These women typically performed before the men’s bouts, helping to warm up the crowd, build excitement and attract spectators.
The most eye-catching aspect was not the competition itself, but the bold attire of the participants.

Female wrestlers often competed lightly dressed or even topless, with their outfits revealing the arms, back, navel, lower abdomen and upper thighs.
Some participants covered their chests with just palm-sized pieces of cloth.
Historical records also mention fully nude performances, and such striking events drew widespread attention and controversy at the time.
This stood in stark contrast to the traditional moral code of the time, which upheld the “Three Obediences and Four Virtues” as the highest standard for women.
Women’s sumo during the Song dynasty also placed strong emphasis on skill.
For example, female wrestlers such as Duan Sanniang were known to compete against male opponents.
Even emperors were drawn to watch these performances.

Emperor Renzong of Song once attended such events with his consorts, which later drew criticism from the politician Sima Guang.
Reflecting Confucian moral values, Sima Guang opposed women’s sumo, voicing the concerns of many conservative officials of the time.
He admonished the emperor and urged a ban, arguing that “women should no longer gather in public streets to perform such spectacles”.
Under such pressure, women’s sumo in the capital gradually declined and eventually disappeared.


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Women sumo wrestling was popular pastime in ancient China until rise of Confucian ethics

In ancient China, women’s sumo wrestling was a popular form of entertainment and the country is believed to hold the earliest records of female sumo wrestlers. Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu 

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The above painting shows two women making a sporting gesture to each other before a bout in ancient China: Photo: zhihu

Two modern-day women fighting during a competition at The World Games in Poland in 2017. Photo: Getty Images

This painting shows a sumo bout under way in ancient times as spectators watch. Photo: zhihu

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People & Culture

Grappling partially clothed, sometimes naked, women drew large crowds, emperors but complaints from conservative officials led to sport’s demise


Grappling partially clothed, sometimes naked, women drew large crowds, emperors but complaints from conservative officials led to sport’s demise.


Wrestling

Chinese history

Women sumo wrestling was popular pastime in ancient China until rise of Confucian ethics

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Grappling partially clothed, sometimes naked, women drew large crowds, emperors but complaints from conservative officials led to sport’s demise

Grappling partially clothed, sometimes naked, women drew large crowds, emperors but complaints from conservative officials led to sport’s demise