Skipping Rope — From Children’s Game to Sport

Skipping rope is a physical activity in which various jumping movements are performed while a rope is swung around the body. It is an ancient folk pastime of the Han Chinese, with a history of more than 1,000 years in China. Originally a children’s activity, it only became a popular sport for adults in modern times. 

According to historical research, the earliest evidence of skipping rope in China is a Han-dynasty stone relief depicting people jumping rope, indicating that the activity existed as early as the Han dynasty. Records of skipping rope appear throughout the dynasties following the Wei and Jin periods. A painting on the wooden door of the rear chamber of a Liao-dynasty tomb in Xuanhua depicts three children playing jump rope. The two children on either side bend forward and flex their legs as they vigorously swing a long rope, while the bare-chested child in the middle bends his knees and stretches out his arms as he leaps lightly. The exquisite composition makes it a valuable historical artifact documenting the history of skipping rope.