Document Type
Article
Abstract
Republican Era China saw a radical transformation in Chinese physical culture as it aimed to compete in the global geopolitics of nation-states. Employing an historical ethnographic approach, this paper outlines how the unique conditions of Sichuanese warlordism and secret societies affected missionary relations with the Guomindang (GMD) as they implemented increasingly militarized physical education programs. Before the 1928 GMD consolidation of power, missionaries and GMD educators aligned with the YM/ WCA in physical education programs. After the GMD moved their headquarters to Chongqing in 1938, relations soured between the GMD and the Sichuan missionaries. Although the latter had been the most ardent supporters of the GMD curriculum, they ultimately became the most vocal detractors of their militarization of PE. Despite these strained relations, Sichuan was the final crucible in which missionaries and GMD educators co-constructed a new Chinese physical culture that prepared the ground for a vigorous national citizenry.
Citation Information
Willmott, Cory. "Missionary Body Politics: Physical Education in West China, 1905-1950." Asia Pacific Perspectives 19, No. 2 (2026)
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