They participated in physical activities such as wuyong (martial valour), quanyong (boxing valour), xi (games), jiji (art-of-attack) and yangsheng (the art of keeping fit). The most distinguishing characteristics of these forms is that they all closely associated with some social activity, such as military training, rituals, sacrifices, medical treatment, or artistic creation.
The Ancient Chinese physical culture had its own traditions and was strongly influenced by the country's economy, politics culture and philosophical ideas. A rich Oriental flavour (Spiritual, more martial arts rather than a military style later adapted) was present, however, the modern day Chinese physical culture, incorporates much from the west (see appendix 2). They have given sport an academic status in schools, opened up schools of sporting excellence and established governmental departments for the growth of sport.
Through the western influence on China there has been more commercialisation of sport in China, there has been the introduction of the Chinese Olympic Committee, there is established associations and committees the same as Britain. This commercialisation is more of the western sports i.e. table tennis, badminton and basketball. Most of theses sports in Britain where commercialised long before China participated in these sports. Sports organisations in martial arts and other more traditional sports in China existed long before modern sports were introduced. These organisations were loosely formed associations. Most of them were independent and factional. Modern sports - such as the Olympics and other international sports common to various countries of the world - were introduced to China at the turn of the 20th century. With this came an emergence of regional and national sports organisations (see appendix 1). In Britain modern sports were developments from traditional sports played in villages and in schools after the industrial revolution.