Chinese bull wrestling tradition faces challenges despite recent competition
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 28, 2026, 3:23 AM
Last updated Jun 28, 2026
In Jiaxing, eastern China, 20-year-old Wang Shuangshuang recently showcased his skills in bull wrestling at a local amphitheater. While the competition featured nine university students, the sport, known as guanniu, is struggling for recognition and support. With origins over 600 years old, guanniu has seen a decline in participation and funding, making it difficult for practitioners to pursue it as a full-time career. Competitors like Wang express passion for the sport but often contemplate other career paths. Master Han Haihua, who runs the training facility, is committed to preserving guanniu despite the challenges faced by the tradition.
- •Wang Shuangshuang and Xu Zhiqian competed in a local guanniu event.
- •Chinese bull wrestling dates back over 600 years but is little-known domestically.
- •Only nine students participated in this year's competition.
- •Master Han Haihua emphasizes the need for more funding to sustain the sport.
- •Li Bo is one of the few who has made a career in guanniu.
- 3:23 AMYahoo Sports — China's bull wrestlers fight to keep tradition alive
"In a half-covered amphitheatre in eastern China, 20-year-old Wang Shuangshuang locked his shoulder against the neck of a bull, grappling with its horns to force it to its knees."You have to go with its flow, shift your shoulders constantly to follow its resistance, lock its neck, and then throw it down," Wang said.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
WWE•Sep 24, 2026, 9:00 PMEven Tony Khan can’t keep former TNA, NXT talent from spoiling her AEW debut
WWE•Sep 24, 2026, 7:00 PMWWE star would welcome AJ Styles’ son into his stable
WWE•Sep 24, 2026, 5:49 PMApollo Crews didn’t want to use Nigerian accent in WWE, was ‘talked into it’ by Vince McMahon
WWE•Sep 24, 2026, 5:14 PMWWE Main Event Headed To New Streaming Platform
WWE•Sep 24, 2026, 4:00 PMBully Ray Assesses WWE's Handling Of Penta Following Roman Reigns Match
WWE•Sep 24, 2026, 3:30 PMWWE's Matt Cardona Offers Update On Injury Recovery
