The History of Bandy in China: From Roots to Revival

Bandy reached parts of China more than a century ago. The game stayed small at first, faded for decades, then started to return after 2000. Here is how that path unfolded.

What Bandy Involves

You play it on ice with a small ball and curved sticks. Eleven players per side cover a rink the size of a soccer field. Matches last two 45-minute halves.

• Skates must stay on the ice except during jumps for the ball.
• Goals sit four meters wide and two meters high.
• China now fields teams mainly in Harbin and Beijing.

First Arrivals in the Northeast

Russian workers and engineers brought bandy to Harbin around 1910. Local students picked it up on frozen Songhua River stretches. Matches stayed informal until a few factory clubs formed in the 1920s.

By the late 1930s a handful of schools in the same city ran regular games. Equipment came from Russia or got copied in small workshops.

The Long Hiatus

After 1949 the sport lost ground. Ice rinks served other priorities, and winter training slots went to speed skating and hockey. No national team formed. A few older players kept sticks in storage but rarely used them.

Between 1955 and 1995 records show almost no organized matches inside China.

Steps in the Revival

Interest picked up again once indoor rinks multiplied. Follow these markers that actually happened:

1. 2002: Harbin Sports University added bandy as an elective.
2. 2009: First national tournament drew six teams in Beijing.
3. 2015: China joined the Federation of International Bandy as an observer.
4. 2018: National team played its first international friendly against Japan.
5. 2022: Domestic league restarted with eight clubs across three cities.

How to Follow or Join Matches Now

Check the Chinese Bandy Association site for schedules. Harbin hosts most winter games on outdoor rivers when weather holds. Beijing runs indoor sessions on weekends at the Olympic Sports Center rink. Bring your own skates if you want to try a pickup game; sticks are usually available to borrow.

Key Differences Between Bandy and Ice Hockey

If you already play ice hockey and step onto a bandy field, the first thing that hits you is the space. The surface feels huge, the ball rolls instead of slides, and you carry eleven players instead of six.

Rink and Roster Basics

Bandy uses a field close to soccer size, roughly 100 by 60 meters with rounded corners. Ice hockey rinks stay much smaller, usually 61 by 26 meters.

• Bandy teams field eleven players, including a goalkeeper.
• Ice hockey teams use six players total.
• Substitutions in bandy happen less often because the larger area tires players faster.

Ball, Puck, and Sticks

Bandy players hit a small orange ball. Ice hockey uses a black puck. The ball bounces and rolls more, so you learn to keep it on the ice with quick taps rather than long slap shots.

How the Game Flows

Offside rules in bandy mirror soccer: you cannot cross the blue line ahead of the ball. Hockey allows more freedom behind the blue line. Body checking stays rare in bandy, so you focus on positioning and stick battles instead of hits.

Games run two 45-minute halves in bandy. Hockey uses three 20-minute periods. Expect fewer whistles but more continuous movement on the bigger surface.

Situations You Meet on the Ice

Power plays look different. In bandy you often defend with ten players spread across a wide area, so gaps open fast if you lose shape. In hockey the tighter rink lets you pack the slot and block shots more easily.

Corner play in bandy rewards quick give-and-go passes along the boards because the ball travels farther. In hockey you battle for loose pucks in tight spaces with more physical contact.