“To Make the Four Hundred Million Move”: The Late Qing Dynasty Origins of Modern Chinese Sport and Physical Culture

Abstract

There is no athletic movement in China... Caspar Whitney, in Harper's Weekly, 1898” and “Just as our women [swimmers] dominate... Zhou Ming, Head Coach, PRC National Swim Team, 1997.There is little doubt that, after a century's exposure, Chinese have absorbed and understand quite clearly the greater meanings of the realm of sport—the connections between competitive athletic endeavor, imperialist bluster, and economic standing in the world community. This article is an exploration of the late Qing Dynasty origins of this modern global culture of physical culture and sport.