Routledge Handbook of Sport in China

This is the first book to offer a comprehensive overview of the history and development of sport from the ancient to the contemporary era in China. It addresses the gap between the vibrant academic scholarship within China and the limited understanding of Chinese sport outside of the country. It opens different perspectives on Chinese sport and addresses a wide range of issues central to the development of sport in the context of Chinese culture, politics, economy, and society. It explores a diverse set of topics including the history of Chinese traditional sport, the rise of modern sport and the Olympic movement, sport and nationhood, sport and politics and international relations, sport and physical education, sport and economy and commerce, sport and social stratification and diversity, and sport leisure and tourism. It offers critical insights into the multifaceted world of China, past and present--a contribution to our collective knowledge and understanding of Chinese sport and society--and is useful reading for students, researchers, and professionals with an interest in the field of China and Chinese sport.

This Handbook has been contributed to by a team consisting of 88 leading Chinese and Asian experts and scholars with varied backgrounds of studying and working in European, North American, and Australian universities, as well as Western scholars with expertise on China and its sports system and practice. It is composed of ten parts classified by different subjects. It provides a wide lens through which to better contextualise the relationships between China and the world within the global sport community.

The Routledge Handbook of Sport in China is a vital resource for students and scholars studying the history, politics, sociology, culture and policy of sport in China, as well as sport management, sport history, sport sociology, and sport policy and politics. It is also valuable reading for those who are working in international sport policy making and sport organisations.

Fan Hong is Professor in Sport Studies and executive Dean of the Institute of Olympic Studies and Research of Shanghai University of Sport, China. She has worked, as a Professor, in De Montford University, University College Cork, University of Western Australia, Bangor University from the 1990s to the 2020s. She was the editor of the International Journal of History of Sport (Asia) and now is the Editor in Chief of the Asian Journal of Sport History and Culture, and editorial board member of several academic journals. Her research interests are in the areas of sports history, gender, policy and organisation, cross cultural studies, and Asian sports history studies.

Liu Li obtained her PhD at The University of Western Australia in 2016 in Perth, Australia. She studied in University College Cork, Ireland from 2011 to 2014. She is now an Associate Professor in the School of Sports History and Culture, College of Sports and Physical Education at Anhui Normal University. She is an editorial board member of the Asian Journal of Sport History and Culture (Routledge). Her main research interests are Chinese history and sports history and culture. She has received funding for Six research projects. Two of them are supported by China’s National Philosophy & Social Science Foundation and the Ministry of Education. She has published two books in English (Routledge) and more than 20 book chapters and refereed journal articles in Chinese and English.