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Q: Chinese culture and Sport Spiritual ( Answered 1 out of 5 stars,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Chinese culture and Sport Spiritual
Category: Arts and Entertainment > Books and Literature
Asked by: gft-ga
List Price: $50.00
Posted: 21 Mar 2003 02:34 PST
Expires: 20 Apr 2003 03:34 PDT
Question ID: 179084
i would like to know how chinese regard their sports (like gymnastics)
as their symbols of cultural meaning??
Answer  
Subject: Re: Chinese culture and Sport Spiritual
Answered By: watershed-ga on 21 Mar 2003 04:22 PST
Rated:1 out of 5 stars
 
Hello gft,



Thanks for your question. It seems that before their many successes in
the international sport arena, the Chinese were known throughout Asia
as being especially bad at them, and at feats of physical prowess in
general.  This was a source of national pride which prompted the
Government to initiate one of the farthest reaching sports programs of
almost any nation.  They have programs at the county level which
virtually recruit citizens just as a military branch would.  As their
sports program matured over the years, the people of China took it as
a sign of a revitalized homeland, and a refutation to any who had
thought upon the Chinese as weak. 
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/china/19990910A110.html

It is one of the Chinese governments top priorities to compete at a
global level in every arena they can.  It is a deep source of pride of
the Chinese people to be competitive with the rest of the world.  This
attitude translated rather easily into the highly competitive sports
program they have developed.  Culturally, sports are nothing new. 
China has had over 5000 years of sports history.  They have a long
history with gymnastics and other physical activities like it, such as
acrobatics and dancing.  In addition, their many and varied traditions
of martial arts also seems to fit into this mold.
http://chinese.about.com/library/weekly/aa032301c.htm

Sports are indeed an integral part of Chinese culture, with over 300
million citizens participating in some sports activity.  Physical
fitness is something else that is very valued, and it is tied in with
their love of sports.  They are very committed, with the government
behind a mandatory program to promote physical well being.

"On New Year Day in 1995, the Chinese government put forward the
Whole-People Health-Building Plan, with the aim of improving the
people's physiques and health. This plan is named the One-Two-One
Project, whereby everyone should take part in at least one sports
activity every day, learn at least two health-building methods and
take one physical examination once a year. The Physical Health Law of
the People's Republic of China was adopted by the Standing Committee
of NPC on August 29, 1995. It was the first time for the state to
enshrine the principle of promoting physical culture and building up
the people's health in law."
http://www.china.org.cn/e-china/sports/popular.htm

It seems to be part of the life of a Chinese citizen to be behind
their athletes, with athletic activities being a large part of
national conversation and involvement.  From a young age, Chinese
children are taught the principles of physical health and well-being,
with sports being a large part of this training.  With so many Chinese
growing up with such experiences, it is no wonder why the national
attitude is so favorable towards them.  In the earlier part of the
century, the condition of Chinas economy was virtually falling apart,
and the citizens had very few sources of hope.  These victories for
China in the sports arena provided a national character and context
for their faith in themselves.  I hope this helps.

Search terms:  china sports culture, china sports spirituality,
chinese sports culture, chinese sports history, chinese sports
Search Method:  www.google.com

watershed-ga

Clarification of Answer by watershed-ga on 21 Mar 2003 15:58 PST
Hello gft,

You may find it more helpful in the future to request an answer
clarification, so more research could be done on your subject.  This
is an open-ended process, and if you are unsatisfied with the contents
of your answer, the answer clarification process will allow the
reseacher to improve upon the existing answer, so that it meets your
specific needs.

watershed-ga
gft-ga rated this answer:1 out of 5 stars and gave an additional tip of: $1.00
the reason i offer this high amount of price is owing to that i need a
more organized and informative structure for my research.
thank you

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