by Chunlei Lu
Vol. 2 2011, pages 1–17
Published January 26, 2011
Abstract
This article examines the history of Chinese sports in relation to sport development and cultural renaissance against the backdrop of the 2008 Beijing Olympiad. The differences between Chinese and Western sports are analyzed from a cross-cultural perspective. An argument is made that the westernization of traditional Chinese sports has had profound implications upon East-West cultural conflict and negotiation. Post-Olympic and future sports landscapes in China are also discussed. It is concluded that both Chinese and Western sports have their place in human culture: Chinese and Ancient Greek legacies represent the two oldest East-West civilizations, and the passing of the 2008 Olympic torch from Greece’s Olympia to the city of Beijing precisely marks a shift from Western global dominance to a more balanced yin-yang model where both Western and non-Western cultures have international influence.
About the Author
CHUNLEI LU is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, Brock University. He is also the Co-Director of Confucius Institute at Brock University. He obtained a B.Ed (Shandong Normal University, China), M.Ed (Zhejiang University, China), M.Sc (State University of New York at Brockport, USA), and Ph.D (University of Alberta, Canada). He has teaching experiences in seven universities in the three countries. Based on these cross-cultural experiences, his research interests have concentrated on the overlapped areas of culture, education, and health. He has published one book, six book chapters, and 45 refereed articles.
