Chinese claim to origins of soccer

An ancient Chinese game called Cuju, which some see as the parent of modern soccer, is being revived in Beijing. The British may claim to be the inventors of modern soccer, but the sport has its roots far to the east. At the Beijing World Park,...

An ancient Chinese game called Cuju, which some see as the parent of modern soccer, is being revived in Beijing.

The British may claim to be the inventors of modern soccer, but the sport has its roots far to the east.

At the Beijing World Park, tourists from Belarus, the Ukraine and Russia donned traditional Han costumes and joined in a game of cuju, soccer's ancestral sport.

The game is being resurrected in China, where it originated as far back as 5000 years ago.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.