Section 1 The Emergence of Traditional Sports for ...
Five thousand years of Chinese civilization gave birth to numerous ethnic groups. Over the course ofhistory, some ethnic groups have perished, some have moved away, some have been assimilated, others have been integrated and, of course, new ones have arisen. China has always been a unified multi-ethnic country, and all ethnic groups have interacted with one another in politics, economics, science and technology, ideology and culture, literature and art, which led to joint progress and constantly pushed China forward. The varied traditional ethnic sports created in the work and life of ethnic groups have strengthened national cohesion and built up the national spirit of the Chinese people. From a macro perspective, the emergence of traditional ethnic sports in Yunnan is not very different from that in other parts ofthe country.
Firstly, co-existent ethnic groups in China have been interdependent in all aspects of social life, which has provided the necessary social basis for the emergence and development of distinctive ethnic sports. Secondly, the emergence and evolution of traditional Chinese sports is closely related to the natural environment in which the various ethnic groups have had live and recuperation. The Chinese civilization was built on the basis of an agricultural economy, which forged the unique worldviews, outlook on life and values of the Chinese people, and also formed a unique national character and psychology. Finally, the Chinese nation was formed by the fusion of many ethnic groups.In their cultural development and regeneration, the ethnic minorities have inherited the cultural deposits of the Chinese nation in its great unity, and have brought into play their original spirit for the joint creation of the Chinese culture. The glorious ethnic cultures are the cultural resources condensed in the unification, facilitating the formation of traditional sports for ethnic minorities.
One of the fruits of this splendid ethnic culture is the emergence of traditional sports in Yunnan. Theunique geographical location, natural environment and historycontribute special formative factors to the traditional sports of Yunnan’s ethnic minorities: natural environment and survival needs; means of production and way of life; primitive worship and religious beliefs; warfare and protection of the family; value systems and cultural heritage.
In terms of natural environment and survival needs, the population of Yunnan’s ethnic minorities is distributed in a three-dimensional pattern, which is determined by the Yunnan’s complex terrain and changeable climate. For example, the Dai and Zhuang ethnic groups live mainly in the river valleys and near the water, thus giving rise to water-related dragon boat sports; the Hui, Manchu, Bai, Nakhi, Bouyei and Shui ethnic groups live mainly in the basins,thus producing sports such as horse racing and bullfight; the Hani, Lahu, Wa, Jingpo and Jino ethnic groups live in the semi-mountainous areas, thus generating sports such as wrestling and Moqiu; the Miao, Lisu, Nu, Derung, Tibetan and Pumi ethnic groups live mainly in the high mountainous, thus giving rise to sports such as crossbow-shooting and flower pole climbing.
In terms of lifestyle and production tools, China is a traditional agricultural country.During its long history of production, the industrious and wise Chinese people have invented and modified many tools to improve productivity and quality of life, such as knives, ploughs, hoes and swords, in a variety of forms and functions. Yunnan’s ethnic minorities, living in basinswhere agriculture is the mainstay, and in high mountainswhere animal husbandry is the mainstay, have gradually developed their own way of life in order to expand their habitat, improve their quality oflife and live in harmony with nature. Based on the crisscrossed river flowing on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, several ethnic minorities have formed the zip line over rivers, the dragon boat, the horse racing in the pasture, the speed walking in the mountains, the crossbow-shooting in the jungle and so on, all marking the certain tools ofproduction and life under regional conditions.
In terms of primitive worship and religious beliefs, life and death, the change of the four seasons, the rising and setting of the sun, moon and stars all led the ancestors of all ethnic groups to deliberate on the existence of life and to explore the natural world. Due to the low level of knowledge and technological development, ancient people were unable to reasonably explain the phenomena of nature from a scientific and materialistic perspective in terms of their perception of themselves and the objective world. As a result, primitive and simple beliefs arose, in which they worshiped their ancestors, certain substances,phenomena in nature, or even animals. These worship activities are often based on numerous ceremonies and rituals such as singing, chanting, dancing, climbing, rafting, and pilgrimages and so on, which are closely related to the exercise ofone’s breath and physical strength. Tibetan Buddhists, for example, are required to be in good physical condition to rotate around the mountain and to kowtow every three steps. The pilgrim’s kowtow every three steps from their hometowns until arriving in Lhasa. The Muslims of the Hui ethnic group, whose doctrines and rituals require a set of full-body exercise gymnastics from head to toe, provide a good workout. This explains there are more long-lived people among the Hui. These religious rituals and forms of worship lay the basis for a good lifestyle and effectively promote good health. Whether it is a Tibetan Buddhist lamasery, a Buddhist monastery or an Islamic mosque, they are all major venues for sporting activities for the faithful, where people celebrate religious festivals, exchange information and increase friendship. The budding traditional ethnic sports emerged in the subtle influence ofnational culture and further reinforcement ofreligious sentiments.
In terms ofwarfare and the protection ofthe nation, the ethnic minorities have shared the same future with Chinese civilization and have experienced the ups and downs of history together, which is why traditional ethnic sports also deeply carry with traces of history.The Mongolian people are a people who live on horseback, and this historical background not only makes them a skilled horseman and marksman, but also makes their ethnic sports are associated with horses and warfare, such as wrestling, horse racing and equestrianism.Traditional ethnic sports are also linked to the destiny of the nation, giving people national identity. After 1840, China’s feudal society gradually became a semi-colonial society, and in order to fight against foreign invaders, there were powerful peasant rebellions throughout China. They set up martial arts schools, taught folk martial arts, gathered the masses to form teams, and set up folk martial arts groups such as the Small Sword Society, the Big Sword Society, the Long Spear Society and the Boxer Rebellion. The Hui grand master, Wang Wu the Big Sword, took up his sword and led his apprentices to fight against foreign invaders and to defend his country. He symbolized a patriotic part to safeguard the territorial integrity ofthe Chinese nation.
In terms of value system and cultural heritage, traditional sports of ethnic minorities are one ofthe elements oftraditional ethnic culture. The cultural and economic gapled to a variety of forms and styles of sporting activities with distinct ethnic cultural characteristics. These sports influence the formation ofa group’s way oflife, carry the values ofa group, and reflect the cohesion of a group’s self-identity. Traditional sports enhance the physical fitness of all ethnic groups, while inter-ethnic physical cultural exchanges promote the unity of all ethnic groups and help to build a harmonious society and a community with a shared future.