It seems that before their many successes in the international sport arena,
the Chinese were known throughout Asia as being especially bad at them, and at feats of physical
prowess in general. This was a source of national pride which prompted the
Government to initiate one of the farthest reaching sports programs of almost any nation.
They have programs at the county level which virtually recruit citizens just as a military branch would.
As their sports program matured over the years, the people of China took it as
a sign of a revitalized homeland, and a refutation to any who had thought upon the Chinese as weak.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/china/19990910A110.html
It is one of the Chinese governments top priorities to compete at a global level in every arena they can.
It is a deep source of pride of the Chinese people to be competitive with the rest of the world.
This attitude translated rather easily into the highly competitive sports program they have developed.
Culturally, sports are nothing new. China has had over 5000 years of sports history. They have a long
history with gymnastics and other physical activities like it, such as acrobatics and dancing.
In addition, their many and varied traditions of martial arts also seems to fit into this mold.
http://chinese.about.com/library/weekly/aa032301c.htm
Sports are indeed an integral part of Chinese culture, with over 300 million citizens participating in
some sports activity. Physical fitness is something else that is very valued, and it is tied in with their
love of sports. They are very committed, with the government behind a mandatory program to
promote physical well being.
"On New Year Day in 1995, the Chinese government put forward the Whole-People Health-Building Plan,
with the aim of improving the people's physiques and health. This plan is named the One-Two-One Project,
whereby everyone should take part in at least one sports activity every day, learn at least two
health-building methods and take one physical examination once a year. The Physical Health Law of
the People's Republic of China was adopted by the Standing Committee of NPC on August 29, 1995.
It was the first time for the state to enshrine the principle of promoting physical culture and building
up the people's health in law."
http://www.china.org.cn/e-china/sports/popular.htm
It seems to be part of the life of a Chinese citizen to be behind their athletes, with athletic activities
being a large part of national conversation and involvement. From a young age, Chinese children
are taught the principles of physical health and well-being, with sports being a large part of this training.
With so many Chinese growing up with such experiences, it is no wonder why the national
attitude is so favorable towards them. In the earlier part of the century, the condition of China's economy
was virtually falling apart, and the citizens had very few sources of hope. These victories for China in
the sports arena provided a national character and context for their faith in themselves. These is the
reason why China has emerge as King in Sports at Asia and International level. Just look at the total
medal haul for China in the ongoing Asian Games.
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