On 3rd October 2018 a book launch was held in Maynooth University to launch Dr Zhouxiang Lu's new publications; Politics and Identity in Chinese Martial Arts & Olympics in Conflict: From the Games of the New Emerging Forces to the Rio Olympics both recently published by Routledge.
Professor Arnd Witte spoke at the launch and an enjoyable evening was had by friends and colleagues.
Politics and Identity in Chinese Martial Arts. Chinese martial arts is considered by many to symbolise the strength of the Chinese and their pride in their history, and has long been regarded as an important element of Chinese culture and national identity. This book comprehensivelyexamines the development of Chinese martial arts in the context of history and politics, and highlights its role in nation building and identity construction in the past two centuries. It points out that the development of Chinese martial arts was heavily influenced by the ruling regime's political and military policies, as well as the social and economic environment. From the early 20th century on, together with the rapid transformation of Chinese society and influenced by Western sports, Chinese martial arts began to develop into its modern form - a performing art, a competitive sport and a sport for all. It has been widely practiced for health and fitness, self-cultivation, self-defense and entertainment. After a century of development, it has grown into an important part of the international sports world and attracts a global audience. It will continue to evolve in an era of globalisation, and will remain a unique cultural icon and national symbol of China.
Olympics in Conflict: From the Games of the New Emerging Forces to the Rio Olympics
In the second half of the twentieth century, the Olympics played an important role in the politics of the Cold War and was part of the conflicts between the Capitalist Block, the Socialist Block and Third World countries. The Games of the New Emerging Forces (GANEFO) is one of the best examples of the politicization of sport and the Olympics in the Cold War era. From the 1980s onward, the Olympics has facilitated communication and cooperation between nations in the post–Cold War era and contributed to the formation of a new world order. In August 2016, the Games of the XXXI Olympiad were held in Rio de Janeiro, making Brazil the first South American country to host the Summer Olympics. This was widely regarded as a new landmark event in the history of the modern Olympic movement. From the GANEFO to Rio, the Olympic Games have witnessed the shifting balance in international politics and world economy. This book aims at understanding the transformation of the Olympics over the past decades and tries to explain how the Olympic movement played its part in world politics, the world economy and international relations against the background of the rise of developing countries. The collection is based on an international conference which took place in Maynooth University, Ireland between 20–21 May 2016.
The volume is co-edited by Dr. Zhouxiang Lu, Lecturer in the Department of Chinese Studies and Prof. Fan Hong, Professor in Asian Studies at Bangor University. Contributors include Dr Yinya Liu, also of the Maynooth University Departmentof Chinese Studies, alongside scholars based in the Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, UK and Singapore.