An Exploration of the Course and Impact of Sino-Japanese Sports Exchanges during the Late Qing Dynasty from the Perspective of National Sentiment

Yan  Chen

doi:10.54691/356z9z94

Authors

Yan Chen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/356z9z94

Keywords:

Ethnic sentiment; late Qing Dynasty; Sino-Japanese sports exchanges; historical development.

Abstract

From the perspective of national sentiment, this paper conducts an in-depth investigation into the trajectory and impact of Sino-Japanese sports exchanges during the late Qing Dynasty. During this period, both China and Japan faced pressure from Western powers but pursued distinct developmental paths. Japan implemented comprehensive westernization, particularly through gymnastics education centered on military exercises, establishing a modern school sports system that enhanced public physical fitness and national consciousness. Following its defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War, China recognized the backwardness of its educational system and began emulating Japan by sending numerous students to study military affairs, education, and sports. Under these circumstances, Sino-Japanese sports exchanges unfolded amid nationalist tensions, embodying both the motivation to adopt Japanese sports techniques as a means of countering Western influence and a wary attitude toward Japanese cultural colonization. The exchange process evolved from initial contact in the late Qing era, through deepened interactions in the early Republic of China period, to complex interactions during the Beiyang Government and Nanjing Government periods. This process not only facilitated the establishment and refinement of China's sports education system but also fostered a sense of national self-strengthening and the idea of saving the nation through sports, promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding in grassroots sports communities.

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