Function and Value of Cultural Communication in National Folk
Sports Events
Bikai Dong
Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, Chongzuo, Guangxi, 532200, China
Keywords: National Folk, Sports Events, Cultural Communication, Background, Communication Value.
Abstract: China is a unified multinational country with vast territory, abundant resources and long history of national
culture. Likewise, the culture of national folk sports events has also been developing continuously and kept
pace with the time in the history river. As an important part of Chinese traditional culture, the culture of na-
tional folk sports events is of profound significance for Chinese cultural communication and inheritance.
Based on the analysis of the background of national folk sports events and existing problems in the devel-
opment, this work gave a detailed description about the specific contents of its cultural communication. Fol-
lowing that, the important value of Chinese folk sports culture were further discussed.
1 INTRODUCTION
Traditional life-style and living habits have direct
impacts on the formation and development of
culture. China is a multinational country with
complex historical culture and traditional customs.
Characteristic cultures of various nationalities and
regions have also promoted the diversified
development and integration of national folk sports
events. Without doubt, the institutions and rules of
national folk sports events have strong features and
regional characteristics. This not only helps to spread
local culture and spirit through sports, but also
allows people to exercise in the entertainment,
thereby enhancing their physical quality. Diverse
national folk sports, including dragon-boat race,
playing diabolo, kicking shuttlecock, tug-of-War,
horse racing and sports dance, are all Chinese
national folk sport projects. These projects,
representing national characteristic culture and
reflecting the local spirits, have played an important
role in the long history of Chinese sports (Zhang
Junping, 2012). Additionally, the communication
function of national folk sports events is
irreplaceable by other forms, and it is the best part of
cultural heritage deposited in special historical
periods. Therefore, national folk sports events are of
important significance in promoting the
communication and mixture of Chinese national
culture, enhancing national pride and patriotism
spirit, and strengthening national unity.
2 BACKGROUND OF CHINESE
FOLK SPORTS EVENTS
Since the reform and opening-up, the economic
strength of China has been increasing and its
international status also has changed a lot.
Obviously, the development of sports and
communication of culture plays supporting function
to such achievement. The sports cause of China has
had a qualitative leap, and the past "sick man of East
Asia" has become a sports power in Asia. In the
development of sports, the communication of sports
culture and presentation of sports spirit show a more
far-reaching significance than gold medal. So, sports
power should set promoting the communication of
sports culture, spreading sport spirit and enhancing
its international influence as the lifelong
development goals. In fact, China is making constant
efforts toward this direction. The entire sports
culture in China is relatively thick, and great
importance has been attached to the development
and communication of sports culture (Yang Bin,
2012). During Chinese traditional cultural
inheritance, national folk sports events have also
been strongly supported and constantly encouraged
149
Dong B.
Function and Value of Cultural Communication in National Folk Sports Events.
DOI: 10.5220/0006445801490152
In ISME 2016 - Information Science and Management Engineering IV (ISME 2016), pages 149-152
ISBN: 978-989-758-208-0
Copyright
c
2016 by SCITEPRESS Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
149
by government and society. Such background has
provided a fertile soil for the cultural development of
Chinese folk sports events. This enables the
advocators, successors and laborers of Chinese
traditional culture to foresee the culture prospect of
Chinese folk sports. However, compared with
competitive sports, national folk sports are still in a
passive position. Chinese nationalities reflect various
features, which is unique in the world. So, it is
necessary to take advantage of these features as well
as Chinese national culture to influence world
culture (Yan Jinfang, 2014). This is the cultural
background and development goal of Chinese folk
sports events.
3 PROBLEMS IN CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION OF
CHINESE FOLK SPORTS
EVENTS
3.1 Chinese National Folk Culture
Being Ignored Compared to
Competitive Sports
Competitive sports culture takes up a great
proportion in sports culture. In competitive sports,
the pursuit of results, rankings and medals presents a
distinct bias. Chinese competitive sports have made
outstanding contributions to improve the
international status and comprehensive strength of
China. However, too much emphasis on medals and
rankings has led to a big deviation in the
development of sports culture. While promoting the
development of competitive sports, Chinese folk
sports culture has been constantly ignored, thus
hampering its development.
3.2 Small-Scale of National Folk Sports
Events
Chinese media are still willing to or even habitually
focus on various sports contests while attaching less
attention to national folk sports. Indeed, many media
directly refuse or neglect the broadcast of national
folk sports events, making a lot of national folk
events rest at local and become a national folk
entertainment. In recent years, health care sports,
such as shadowboxing, are popular among people.
However, there is no formal organization or
institution to create platforms for propagating
shadowboxing culture. In short, compared with
competitive sports culture, Chinese folk sports are at
a disadvantage in communication and promotion.
3.3 Social Responsibility of Media Not
Strong Enough
There are few sports broadcasting channels in China,
and CCTV sports channel is the major broadcasting
platform for all sporting events. In numerous sports
activities and competitive events, traditional projects
such as table tennis, diving and football occupy the
superior position. Since these projects attract more
viewers and fans, TV stations can improve their
audience ratings, thus getting more economic
benefits. Additionally, many competitive sports
projects originated from China have a long history
and great significance of cultural inheritance.
However, some of those projects such as curling
have been excluded by other projects in the
development of sports. Further, similar sports
projects and events are gradually being
marginalized, thus making the communication of
national sports culture appear a deviation.
In summary, there are many problems in the
communication of Chinese folk sports culture. In the
future, it is needed to solve the above problems and
defects so as to ensure Chinese traditional culture
and sports cause makes co-coordinated progress.
4 IMPORTANT VALUE OF THE
CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION OF
NATIONAL FOLK SPORTS
EVENTS
4.1 Cultural Communication Function
of National Folk Sports Events as
the Requirement of the times
With continuous development of economy, people's
disposable income is gradually increasing. Since
more and more people begin to focus on the need of
spirit level, cultural development has become the
inevitable requirement of the times. Chinese sports
cause develops rapidly and has a strong influence at
the international level, which can be clearly reflected
from the number of medals and the successfully
hosting of Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
However, compared with the Olympics or World
Cup, Chinese folk sports events seem very bleak.
Furthermore, many people tend to have prejudice
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against the cultural development of Chinese folk
sports events, thinking it impossible to make the goal
of becoming sports power. In fact, this concept—of
the national, of the world—accurately express the
importance of national folk sports events. Some
national folk sports events, such as shadowboxing,
playing diabolo and square dance, have formed a
relatively complete contest rules in the long-term
studies. These activities provide local people a way
for self-amusement, and also help people to
understand local cultural characteristics through such
meaningful national activities. Even more, it can
attract international friends to better understand
China and recognize different nations. To make the
world culture more splendid, the social concepts of
cultural integration and pace of globalization should
be better implemented. Thereby, more national
culture will enter into world stage, and more
meaningful and valuable culture will be excavated
and developed. While learning the history, the
communication and inheritance of national culture
should keep pace with the times. Only national
culture exists in large spaces for a long time, its
international influence can be truly enhanced. In this
way, national folk sports culture will have effect on
world culture, thus better meeting the requirements
of new era.
4.2 Communication Function of
National Folk Sports Events
Culture as Requirements of
National Unity and Security
China is a unified multinational country with fifty-
six nationalities. Even with large number of nations,
Han population occupies the leading position. So the
relationship between Han and other minorities
should be better handled to maintain social stability.
For different nations, their own beliefs and unique
culture are different. In the long history, cultural
forms that left behind always have highly
competitive power and special significance. Almost
every national folk sport has a history or a beautiful
legend. Such cultural connotation in activities will
undoubtedly leave people in every dynasty the
national cultural beliefs, and then people inherit
classic in entertainment. Therefore, every national
folk sport is of important significance, and the
emphasis of national culture represents the respect of
the entire nation.
National folk events are rare opportunities that
bring the minorities from different areas of China
together. And every nation has its own unique
cultural form and expression method. Subtle
movements, small symbols or the totem in the corner
of clothing are all of national significance. Such
sports events are golden opportunities to show the
national mien—people can make use of those
opportunities to exchange cultures, thus making
contribution to the communication of national
culture. And in the exchange of different nations,
people will find every national culture the same
miraculous, full of strength and worthy of respect
and protection. Furthermore, people of different
nationalities will virtually feel kind, and possess
national self-esteem, self-confidence and pride of the
motherland, thus promoting national unity and
maintaining social stability. For the development of
culture, national folk sports events can provide more
opportunities to attract funding. That is, more
resources and opportunities can be used to promote
the development of cultural cause. For the
government, national problem is a thorny problem.
But the development of national folk sports events
can solve the national problem to some extent, thus
promoting the coordinated development and
common progress of nations.
4.3 Exchange Value of Cultural
Communication Function of
National Folk Sports Events
For a nation, there are countless ties from the ancient
time to today, especially for ethnic minorities with
small population. Normally, a traditional national
folk sport has strong national spirit, and during the
inheritance, people of the nation have very strong
sense of identity. Such cultural form is an important
way to unite the nation and gather people. As a
traditional modern country, China still suffers from
the compression of feudalism. However, Chinese
deep-rooted culture form still affects many
contemporary people.
In ancient China, women were required to follow
"the three obedience and four virtues", without much
discourse power and liberty in life, including their
marriage. Apart from "parents’ order, match-maker's
canvasses", the "competition for marriage in martial
skills" and "throwing a ball made of rolled colored
silk" have also appeared on TV play of historical
theme. Indeed, "throwing a ball made of rolled
colored silk" is a traditional national folk sport. In
ancient, if there was a contradiction or conflict
within nation or between tribes, the majority
would
take the same cultural forms (e.g., dancing,
wrestling) to reach the reconciliation. Using the
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identity of same cultural form to offset the hostility
of each other, the distance between each other can be
narrowed through national cultural activities. A
better exchange and communication environment for
both sides guarantees the nation's peace and stability.
These activities are typical cases of good
communication using national folk sports activities
by ancient people. For modern people, the society is
relatively stable, but terrorist activities and East
Turkistan assault happen frequently. Due to these
phenomena, there are some misunderstanding and
prejudice among some social people against the
compatriots in Xinjiang who are kindhearted and
diligence. Even, some people reject and contradict
this nation to some extent. In fact, victims are the
compatriots in Xinjiang. When national conflicts
emerge, perhaps national activities are the alleviation
means, such as Xinjiang dance. In this way, people
will appreciate the good faith of other nations though
communication and exchange, thus promoting the
cultural communication of national folk sports. In
the inheritance of Chinese culture, only unity and
cooperation among nations can safeguard the
stability and harmony of motherland.
5 CONCLUSIONS
National folk sports events have obvious national
identity and unique cultural connotation. Their
traditional cultural feature has strong appeal of
native people’s spirit, and local customs can be seen
from all the details. However, with the rapid rise of
competitive sports, many people have ignored the
soul of national culture, constantly marginalizing the
form and culture of national folk sports. Therefore,
for Chinese national folk sports events, it is
necessary to analyze their background and the
problems in cultural communication. Additionally,
the requirements of the times for Chinese national
folk sports events should also be analyzed. Then it is
possible to better promote the cultural
communication of national folk sports events, thus
showing their cultural value. National folk sports
events are an important part of Chinese sports
development, possessing important significance in
cultural communication, entertainment, fitness and
promoting exchanges. Therefore, the joint efforts of
all aspects are required to protect this valuable
intangible cultural heritage and inherit it, realizing
the nation is the world.
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Yang Bin, Connotation and Modern Value of Tujia Tradi-
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Normal University, 2012 (08): 5-9.
Yan Jinfang, Culture Communication of Sports Events--
Cultural Feast of Olympic, The Guide of Science &
Education, 2014 (12): 101-101.
Zhang Junping, National Folk Sports Development Strate-
gy and Path Selection from the Perspective of Region-
al Culture, Wushu science, 2012 (12): 92-95.
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