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

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.

REFERENCES

Yang Bin, Connotation and Modern Value of Tujia Tradi-

tional Sports--Based on the Field Work of Wantan

Town in West Hubei Province, Journal of Yangtze

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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