'Sport of kings' begins new reign of popularity

Deep roots

During the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), modern polo was introduced by foreign residents of cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin.

The modern polo section presents the development of the sport in China, from its introduction during the late Qing Dynasty to 2005.

During the 1930s, it enjoyed a period of popularity in China and, in 1959, during the first-ever National Games, polo was included as an official sport.

The Wang family extensively researched old newspapers and publications to find information about polo events, including about Chinese polo players, teams and trophies.

They also searched overseas databases and conducted on-site research to gather firsthand information.

Their efforts resulted in the assembly of about 300 vintage photos, which provide a look at how modern polo arrived and developed in China, offering readers a unique glimpse of this history.

Wang Guohua says that, even though there are many academic monographs and papers on the history of polo in ancient China, there is little research on modern polo.