Training bodies and souls. Missionaries and physical activity in China

Abstract

This work is an overview on education in missionaries' schools in China and on the role given to physical education and Western sports. The analyse covered the end of the Qing Empire to the Early Republican Era. Besides historical investigation, I will focused on social consequences made through the introduction of new forms of entertainment based on competitiveness, an element condemned by Confucian tradition. I will consider the role of modern sports in the nation-making process,the first national and international sporting events, its relationship with imperialism, and the changed perception of human body, particularly regarding Femeninity.