China's bull wrestlers fight to keep tradition alive

China's bull wrestlers fight to keep alive the tradition of Chinese bull wrestling, or "guanniu". Guanniu literally translates to "throwing or tossing a bull." Dating back over 600 years during the Song and Yuan dynasties, it remains a little-known sport domestically, let alone internationally.

The practice deeply connects to the Hui ethnic minority in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. It is recognized on China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. A single wrestler must approach a bull weighing up to 400 kg head-on, grab it by the horns, twist its neck, and force the beast completely to the ground using bare hands and leverage. The wrestler has exactly three minutes to bring the bull down, or they lose the bout.