The National Games and National Identity in China

The history of China’s National Games – first held in 1910 – reflects the transformation of both elite sport in China and wider Chinese society. This is the first book to describe the origins and development of the National Games, and to explore the dynamic interrelationship between the Games, Chinese politics, and nationalism during the process of Chinese nation-building in the modern era. It also examines how the Games were reformed to serve the requirement of China’s Olympic Strategy in the context of sports globalization and commercialization since the 1980s. A fascinating read for anybody with an interest in the politics, history and culture of contemporary China.