Tug-of-war is a sports and recreational activity attended by two opposing sides consisting of equal number of people by pulling a rope to their own side so as to compete for strength. The activity was originated in the State of Chu during Spring and Autumn Period 2400 years ago. The Chu State bestrides south and north of Yangtze River with numerous watercourses spreading freely. Besides its land army, it also trained a mighty navy and invented a weapon called "Gou Ju" (literally hook and reject) specially designed for water battle. When an enemy force was about to retreat, the soldiers would use the weapon to hook the enemy boats and pull back with all strength to prevent escape. Later, "Gou Ju" spread from the army to the folk people and gradually evolved to the tug-of-war contest.    

Tug-of-war became popular in the folk life in Tang and Song Dynasties. During the years of 712 to 756, the Xuanzong Emperor of Tang once held a tug-of-war contest attended by a thousand people. Not only the ordinary people of the time, but also those in royal palace also enjoyed the sport a lot. It was also listed as one of the courses and extracurricular activities after the emergence of modern schools. Generally the game is played in this way: draw two parallels on the ground as the boundary limit while two teams with equal number of people would stand by each side of the limit holding each end of a rope. Then both sides shall put at full strength upon hearing the order till the other side is pulled out of the boundary. It was originally a game prevalent in rural areas of England in the west. It was also listed as an event in Olympics held from 1900 to 1920.