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Chui Wan, an ancient sport during China's Song Dynasty (960-1279), may be the origin of modern golf, experts say.

Chinese academics and chief officials got together in Beijing on Wednesday to claim that golf was played among the noble classes in China some 500 years earlier, trumping traditional notions that Scotland was the birthplace of golf in the 15th Century. .

The claims are certain to add fuel to fierce international controversy about which country invented the sport, now played by more than 50 million people around the world.

Evidence from Chinese paintings and books makes a strong case for the Chinese sport, which is translated as "striking ball" in English.

Paintings from the Yuan (1279-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties lay out scenes of an emperor waving what looks like a golf club and striking what appears to be a golf ball into a hole.

Two books from that time about Chui Wan also present evidence that a form of modern-day golf was played.

One is "Wan Jing" by Ning Zhizhai, published in Yuan in 1282. The other is "Explanation of Chinese Language" by Piao, a Chinese language textbook published in Gaoli (today's Korea) in the 14th Century.

"Our experts have spent lots of time on the research of the sport in the past two years and have made great achievements," said Zhang Xiaoning, general director of the Multi-ball Games Administrative Centre.

"The sport Chui Wan shares lots of similarities with modern golf in terms of balls, clubs, courses, even the rules and etiquettes. As the governing body of golf, we are supporting the research on golf-related sports."

Early in 2004, led by the Palace Museum and Chinese Golf Association, a Chinese Chui Wan Research Group, composed of experts from Peking University, Peking Sport University, Chinese Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Chinese Sport Museum, was set up in a bid to find evidence about origin and evolution of the sport.

Experts believe Chui Wan has a close relationship with modern golf.

"Some professionals have concluded that golf only arrived in Scotland after it was exported to Europe by Mongolian travellers during the late Middle Ages," said doctor Cui Lequan, researcher from China Sports Museum.

"During the Yuan Dynasty, China and Western countries' exchanges in business and culture reached a high level, and I think it is not surprising that Chui Wan was introduced to other countries at that time."

(China Daily April 28, 2006)