臺灣文學虛擬博物館

The Origin of Strength:

The Rise of Sports and Exercise in Taiwan and its Link to Literature 

The concept of sports and exercise arrived in Taiwan alongside the concept of "modern" living. To cultivate good health among all citizens, regardless of gender, the Japanese colonial government incorporated sports and exercise into the national education system in the form of physical education. Literary works reflect how concepts surrounding the human body have evolved over time due to the influence of old and new ideologies stemming from colonial society. Over the generations, from the post-war era to contemporary times, the possibilities literature has ascribed to sports have changed alongside our perceptions of them.

6-1 Ready Stance: Before "Exercise"

Our modern concept of “exercise” took root during the Japanese colonial period. But the residents of this island already had their own physical skills and techniques long before the Japanese arrived in Taiwan. 

Each Indigenous group had its own unique physical skills and ways of passing them down. These physical activities are woven into each group’s cultural context and become skills that individuals learn and carry through their life journeys. Examples include the Bunun Malahtangia, Tao canoeing, and the Pazeh Maazazuah coming-of-age ceremony, which is a bit like a modern marathon. Together, these skills form an important part of each group’s cultural memory. Martial arts, on the other hand, reflect Han Chinese cultural influence. 

Martial arts began taking root in Taiwan when Koxinga (Cheng Cheng-kung) led his army to settle here. During the Qing period, with many Han immigrants settling the island, villages hired martial arts masters from China to teach and protect their communities. Under Japanese rule, this teaching was banned, yet martial arts merged into temple folk performances, becoming a unique form of performance art. Other activities, like dragon boat racing, the tshiúnn-koo pole climbing contest, and dragon and lion dances, are today grouped under “folk sports,” but deeper investigation into
these activities shows that Taiwan already had a rich and diverse sporting tradition long before the modern era.

6-2 The Whistle Blows!
The Concept of Sports in the Japanese Colonial Era

The modern conception of exercise developed alongside European states of the 18th century. Germany was the first to introduce gymnastics into schools, in order to meet the military needs of the modern state and strengthen its soldiers. This was the precursor to today’s physical education classes. Combining the discoveries in physiology, medicine, and anatomy, they designed a set of physical fitness gymnastics courses, which went on to become a model for the rest of the world. 

Influenced by German military education, Japan incorporated "gymnastics" and "competitive games" into Taiwan’s school curriculum. "Gymnastics" was derived from military-style drills, and included exercises and posture correction for marching. “Competitive games” included running and ball sports. 

The general public's understanding of “sports” came mostly from these physical education classes in modern schools. Taiwan Daily News recorded that parents were worried that the "competitive games" would distract their children from their studies, and gymnastics classes would lead to boys being conscripted into the military, so they refused to send their children to school. Taiwan Minpao, on the other hand, published multiple editorials encouraging Taiwanese to exercise for their health, reflecting the view of local intellectuals that sports were an essential part of modernity. 

The Japanese government also built sports infrastructure for wider society, including parks, sports fields, riding schools, and seaside resorts. Starting in the 1910s, youth baseball teams began to appear in schools across Taiwan, and in the 1930s, the Kano baseball team became a standout example by reaching Japan’s Koshien Stadium. Specialized sports magazines emerged, covering mountaineering, equestrianism, and dance. Although they were mostly edited by Japanese, they still reflected the vibrancy of sports culture at the time. 

During the Japanese colonial period, classical Chinese poets described the novel experiences brought by modern sports, but writers of the New Literature movement rarely delved deeply into the details of athletic practice, and when sports were mentioned, it was often only in the background. The popular novel Adorable Enemy, for example, includes
scenes of mountain climbing and seaside bathing.

6-3 Follow Your Leader, Turn Right! Postwar Kuomintang Administration

Despite initial obstacles, the introduction of modern sports during the Japanese colonial period left a lasting impact on Taiwan, with baseball becoming one of Taiwan's most beloved athletic pastimes. After WWII, writers Lung Ying-tsung and Chang Wo-chun, working at Taiwan Cooperative Bank, put their passion for the sport into supporting the bank’s baseball team. 

When the Kuomintang government came to Taiwan, they also shaped sports through education. However, due to the war footing of the government and later policies to "fight Communism and retake the mainland," physical education carried a stronger military flavor. Physical training was reorganized to focus more on army-style drills, and in his speeches, Chiang Kai-shek often stressed the link between the physical strength of individuals and the strength of the nation, giving youth groups a patriotic mission in sports. 

In the 1960s and 1970s, with the Republic of China facing setbacks in international diplomacy, the outstanding performances of Taiwan’s youth baseball teams on the world stage offered a sense of pride and relief from political frustrations. This success reignited a baseball craze and brought a shift in sports policies. Schools gradually moved physical education away from military drills and towards professional athletic training, paving the way for systematic cultivation of athletic talent. 

Literary writers of the 1970s began to focus on baseball in their novels. As exercise gradually became part of daily life, sports literature began to appear. Readers could experience athletic action through words, blending the aesthetics
of literature and sport.

6-4 Cheers All Around! Contemporary Taiwan

Changes in sports policy also transformed physical education in schools, reducing its military emphasis and focusing more on fostering interest in sports and promoting student health. The design of fitness exercises across different decades reflects these evolving ideas about sports education. 

As Taiwan’s economy boomed, the sports craze became increasingly intertwined with commercial markets. In 1989, the Chinese Professional Baseball League was established, sending baseball enthusiasm in Taiwan to new heights. Although match-fixing and betting scandals later disheartened many fans, professional baseball in Taiwan was revitalized. By the 2000s, Taiwanese media was broadcasting major international sports events like the NBA, MLB, golf, the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and more. Media and commercial promotion cultivated a dedicated fan base, cheering not only for Taiwanese athletes but also for international stars. 

From its early beginnings to widespread popularity, sports in Taiwan have continually evolved, shaped first by national fitness requirements, and later by interest in personal health and leisure pursuits. The history of sports in Taiwan
thus offers a unique lens for understanding the social transformations of the island.