Shared roots in wrestling

Imagine if you were asked to find a connection between Tianjin and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. One is a thriving metropolis over 600 years old nestled between mountains and the sea and home to the largest port in North China, famed for its vibrant art and blend of East and West. The other is Inner Mongolia, China's first autonomous region that stretches across the country's northern frontier, where vast grasslands, deserts, forests, and lakes echo with nomadic songs. What would you say?

Of all the possible answers, here's one you might not have considered: a shared love and tradition of wrestling.

As a part of traditional Chinese-style wrestling, which emphasizes agility and flexibility, Tianjin wrestling dates back to the late Qing Dynasty. It favors a balanced, versatile approach. The former Yanjing Wrestling Gym, once buzzing with cheers and excitement, stood in the Nankai Park compound – a site that is still preserved today. Zhang Shaohua, an experienced wrestling coach, recalls that most of the audience in his time came from Iran.

Zhang, now 68, once taught over 100 students at a martial arts school. Today, he continues the tradition every Saturday from 8.30 to 9 a.m. at Fuxing Park, practicing with his trainees. "We don't charge fees. If the crowd is good, we wrestle until noon," he says.

Zhang seems to know every technique by heart: feint, seize, pin, pivot; wrap, lock, press. "Some techniques are already lost. This is our ancestors' legacy. I must preserve it through my own practice," he explains.

Among his trainees is 17-year-old Chen Zhao, a high school graduate. "When I was thrown to the ground, I felt frustrated and sometimes cried. But then I thought, I have to keep going. I have to compete. I have to throw my opponent down," he shares. Despite preparing for the college entrance exam, Chen remains dedicated to wrestling and dreams of visiting Inner Mongolia, where Bökh wrestling – a Chinese national intangible cultural heritage – thrives.

Bökh emphasizes strength and endurance, as its very name signifies unity, power, and resilience.

We follow Chen's journey to Inner Mongolia, where he meets Bayinmend, a Bökh wrestler from West Ujimqin Banner, Xilingol League. Known as a natural talent, Bayinmend humbly attributes his skill to his family, friends, and the vast grasslands that have shaped his love for Bökh. "There is no innate talent. It's the support around me and the land I live on that give me strength," he says.

From city parks to open grasslands, these wrestlers live very different lives – but one thing unites them: an enduring passion for wrestling. Lands apart, skies shared, and a love for wrestling and a responsibility to pass wrestling down transcend geography.