Advances in Social Science and Culture ISSN 2640-9682 (Print) ISSN 2640-9674 (Online) Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/assc 114 Original Paper Study on the Party’s Sports Practice and Its Contemporary Value in the Shanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region during the Yan’an Period Li Yan 1 1 Xi’an FanYi University, School of Marxism, Shaanxi, Xi’an, China Received: June 19, 2023 Accepted: August 15, 2023 Online Published: August 26, 2023 doi:10.22158/assc.v5n3p114 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/assc.v5n3p114 Fund Project 2022 Xi’an FanYi University School-level Project: “Research on the Sports Thought and Practice Party’s in the Shanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Area during the Yan’an Period” (Project No.22B22);2023 Regular Project of Shaanxi Provincial Sports Bureau: “The Value Implications of Ideological and Political Education on the Spirit of Beijing Winter Olympics and the Path to Realization” (Project No. 2023530). Abstract In order to improve the physical quality of the soldiers and civilians in the border areas, cultivate athletes on the battlefield, and improve the combat power of the army, Border Region Party and Government actively organized a series of sports practices for the soldiers and civilians in the border areas during the Yan’an period, including mass sports, army sports, and school sports activities. It played a very important role in the defense of the red regime at that time. Now reviewing the sports practice of the Party during the Yan’an period is of great significance for us to promote the construction of a strong sports country, realize the dream of a strong army, and promote the diplomacy of a great country with Chinese characteristics. Keywords Yan’an period, Shanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Area, sports practice 1. Introduction Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China for more than 70 years, the development of China’s sports has made great progress, one of the important reasons thanks to the development of www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/assc Advances in Social Science and Culture Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 115 Published by SCHOLINK INC. China’s sports is always in the implementation of the sports ideology of the party, and the party’s sports practice in the Yan’an period is an important source of the party sports ideology, and in the new era we need to continue to dig out the party’s sports ideology and practice in the Yan’an period, and actively explore its contemporary value. 2. Overview of the Historical Background of the Party’s Sports Practices in the Yan’an Period All fruits come from causes. The Party practice of sports in the Yan’an period had a profound historical background: in 1934, the wrong leadership of the Party “leftist” adventurism directly led to the defeat of the Red Army in the Fifth Anti-Occupation Campaign. In order to get rid of the Kuomintang reactionaries, the main force of the Central Red Army was forced to carry out a strategic transfer and a long march. During the Long March, the Red Army soldiers overcame many difficulties and broke through layer after layer of enemy encirclement. It was incredible that the Red Army soldiers could still insist on carrying out sports activities such as mountain climbing, running and gymnastics under such an extremely harsh environment. In October 1935, the Red Army finally arrived at the town of Wuqi in northern Shaanxi Province, and established a revolutionary base. In July 1937, the war of resistance against the Japanese invasion broke out in full force. The Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Government, with Yan’an as its general command center, fought an all-out anti-Japanese war under the leadership of Mao Zedong and other central leaders. At this time, the Kuomintang reactionaries imposed an economic blockade on the border areas, which made the already poor and backward border areas even worse, the border areas were backward in production, there were also occasional disasters, and the physical quality of soldiers and civilians was deteriorating. This situation had a serious impact on the fighting strength and daily life of the soldiers and civilians in the border areas. Faced with this situation, the Party and the border area government actively put forward measures to cope with it. In order to solve the problem of lack of supplies and insufficient food and clothing for the soldiers and civilians in the base area, the Party and the border area government actively advocated the idea of “do-it-yourself”, and carried out a great production campaign, aiming at solving the problem of food and clothing for the soldiers and civilians in the base area. In the face of the base area military and civilian physique is weak, frail and sickly, the Red Army combat effectiveness is reduced, the Party and the border government actively advocate the military and civilian participation in a variety of sports activities, which can not only enhance the physical fitness of the military and civilian population, reduce the expenses of the border area of the health care services, enrich the base area of the military and civilian life, but also for the war service. There existed a part of comrades in the army who liked to talk about military theories, thus neglecting the physical quality they used to revolutionize with the enemy, resulting in a serious phenomenon of weakness and without the spirit of a soldier’s fighting power. Therefore, the Party and the Border Region Government proposed to actively organize and carry out various forms of sports activities in the base area, and encourage the military and civilians to participate in physical exercise, so as to achieve the effect of physical fitness, and to cultivate fit www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/assc Advances in Social Science and Culture Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 116 Published by SCHOLINK INC. children on the battlefield, to kill the enemy bravely on the battlefield, and finally to achieve victory in the war. Under the crisis that the Chinese nation might die at any time, sports, as a means to serve the war, was given a special historical mission and pushed onto the historical stage. It was against this historical background that the Party launched a vigorous sports practice. 3. The Main Forms of Sports Practice Carried out by the Party in the Yan’an Period 3.1 Carrying out Mass Sports Activities The party Central Committee in Yan’an 13 years period, in the base area carried out a vigorous construction campaign, so that the base area in the political, economic, cultural and other aspects of the rapid development of the Party in the process, the Party also attaches great importance to the work of sports, so that to Yan’an as the center of the revolutionary base area of the mass sports in full swing, which not only enriches the mass of the material and cultural life, improves the level of health of the masses, and vigorously support the Revolution. The leaders of the organs actively participated in sports activities. During the Yan’an period, in addition to their busy daily work, the leaders of the central authorities also found time to actively participate in various sports activities. For example, Mao Zedong would actively participate in table tennis, swimming and other sports activities in his busy schedule; Zhu De and He Long liked to play basketball and volleyball. Peng Zhen and Deng Fa also often drive more cadres around them to go out of the office to actively engage in physical exercise after work. They swam in summer and skated in winter. Yan’an period of material scarcity of the revolutionary war years, the active participation of leaders at all levels of the Party Central Committee, so that the base of sports activities in full swing, which also objectively contributed greatly to the development of mass sports. The masses in rural areas actively participate in sports activities. In the Yan’an period under the leadership of the party and the promotion of the border area government, the rural mass sports activities in the Shanxi-Gansu-Ningxia border area have also been carried out, the mass activities are mainly based on traditional folk activities, reflecting the spirit of self-improvement of the nation. Border area elderly, children and other rural people actively participate in sports activities, martial arts is one of the very important sports activities, due to the special revolutionary era, martial arts traditional folk sports combined with the needs of the war at that time, was given a new content. For example, martial arts, stone lifting, cavalry fighting, catching spies, night sentry and other martial arts games were widely spread in the rural areas of the border areas and were very popular among the masses, and these sports activities were of great significance to the enhancement of the masses’ physical health. Enterprise workers actively engaged in sports activities. During the Yan’an period, with the continuous development of the base area’s economy, by 1944 the number of factories in the border area exceeded 80, and the number of enterprise workers exceeded tens of thousands, who, in addition to their daily work and production, were actively engaged in various sports competitions. For example, they participated in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region “August 1” Games held in Yan’an in 1937, www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/assc Advances in Social Science and Culture Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 117 Published by SCHOLINK INC. and in 1942, the First Military Factory, Guanghua Printing Factory, and Electric Factory sent teams to participate in the basketball, volleyball, swimming, and other sports in the Yan’an “September 1” Games. Swimming and other sports. In addition, in order to better promote the border area enterprise workers to participate in sports activities, in November 1944, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Area Cultural and Educational Conference adopted the “resolution on the development of cultural and educational work in factories,” which stipulates that the enterprise should strengthen the work of physical education, physical education and sports, and to encourage the staff to overcome all the difficulties, and actively participate in sports activities, and objectively promote the development of sports for employees of the enterprise flourished. In short, during the Yan’an period, under the leadership of the Party and the Border Region Government, the mass sports activities in the Border Region were carried out vigorously and in full swing, greatly promoting the development of sports in the base areas. 3.2 To Carry out Military Sports Activities Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia border area during the Yan’an period, in order to improve the physical quality of the Red Army, enhance the combat effectiveness of the army, under the leadership of the party, the army organized a series of military sports activities, military sports activities are flourishing, and has become an important part of the daily life of the Red Army. In order to better guarantee the army to carry out sports activities, under the leadership of the party, actively organize and establish all kinds of sports institutions. At that time, the more influential sports organizations mainly included: the Yan’an Youth Club established in May 1937, the establishment of the club, directly promoting the enthusiasm of the youth of Yan’an to participate in military sports; in 1938 and 1940, respectively, the Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and Border Region Sports Committee was established, Yan’an Sports Association, it is worth mentioning that Comrade Li Fuchun, who was the deputy director of the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Party at that time, also acted as honorary president of the Yan’an Sports Association, and he attached great importance to the military sports. Honorary President, he attaches great importance to military sports activities, and has repeatedly emphasized the importance of military sports; established in 1942, Yan’an Sports Association, Comrade Zhu De as Honorary President, he has repeatedly in-depth inspection of the first line of the army to carry out sports, and actively participate in military sports activities. At the same time, in the grass-roots units have also set up a military sports organizations, responsible for the unit’s daily military sports activities. From this point of view, the Party and state leaders have elevated the development of military sports to a strategic level, and regarded military sports as an important part of the war of resistance. After the establishment of various sports organizations, various types of military sports clubs in the border area were also opened one after another. Border area soldiers and civilians enthusiastically participate in the rich and colorful military sports, military sports constantly to the climax. Among the more influential are the 1938 “May Day” sports and cultural games; 1939 May Fourth Youth Games; www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/assc Advances in Social Science and Culture Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 118 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 1940 “September 18th Games”; 1942, 1943 National Defense Youth Games and military games. These games, the addition of many military projects, the Soviet military and civilians to participate in the military sports games to promote the healthy development of military sports in Yan’an. In addition, in addition to participating in all kinds of military sports games, the army sports program is rich and diverse. In addition to military sports combined with military training to carry out shooting, assassination, crossing the log bridge, throwing grenades, armed river crossing, crossing obstacles, etc., in their leisure time, through the sports organization Lenin Room (Club) to carry out basketball, single bar, double bar playing swing and other activities. 3.3 Conducting School Sports Activities Yan’an period, the party and the border area government attaches great importance to the cause of education, abolished the original feudal slavery of the education system, instead of the establishment of a scientific, popular new democratic education system, in the party and the border area government’s attention, based on a variety of specifications of the school have been established, after checking the history, the eve of the war in shaanxi and gannings border area only 320 elementary school, more than 5000 students, to the fall of 1940, primary schools developed to 1340, the primary school, the primary school, the primary school, the elementary school, the elementary school, the elementary school, the elementary school, the primary school, the primary school, the primary school. By the fall of 1940, elementary school had grown to 1340, with 41,260 students. The development of education laid the foundation for the development of school sports activities. During the Yan’an period, the Party advocated the education concept of all-round development of morality, intelligence and physical fitness in school education, and, according to the war situation, put forward the strategy of combining sports and military, and combining sports and labor in a timely manner, and actively carried out school sports activities in schools. Due to the lack of materials in the war era, in the spirit of “saving every coin for the war and revolutionary cause”, teachers and students used their brains diligently, for example, twisting worn-out cotton into a ball to serve as a leather ball; making full use of the local terrain to engage in some fun sports such as climbing mountains, crossing the water, etc., to actively create the conditions for sports activities. In addition, in order to make all students participate in sports activities as much as possible, the government of the border area issued relevant regulations, which made clear requirements and regulations for sports courses, sports equipment, etc. For example, the border area government stipulated that the weekly time for participating in sports activities was different for each age group, with no less than 150 minutes of physical education per week for junior high school and elementary school students and no less than 180 minutes for senior high school students, and also pointed out that children should participate in physical education according to their own needs. It also pointed out that physical education activities should be conducted according to the children’s own physical condition. During the Yan’an period, with the importance attached by the Party and the Border Region Government, school sports in the base area were better developed. Sports workers, combining teaching www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/assc Advances in Social Science and Culture Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 119 Published by SCHOLINK INC. with practice, i.e., linking teaching with anti-Japanese, organized students to carry out some sports activities that were both fun and political, such as running to catch traitors and fighting ghosts. Such as running to catch traitors, fighting ghosts, looking for leaders, through the enemy blockade line. Night sentry, etc. These sports activities not only exercise the physical quality of students, but also enhance their communist beliefs, greatly promoting the development of school sports. In conclusion, under the high attention of the Party and the government during the Yan’an period, school sports were well developed both at the institutional level and at the practical level, cultivating reserve forces for the anti-Japanese war. 4. The Contemporary Value of the Party’s Sports Practice in the Yan’an Period 4.1 Advocating the Concept of “Sports for All” and Promoting the Construction of a Strong Sports Country Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping has mentioned the idea of people-centeredness many times on various occasions, which is the Party’s new ideology of governing the country. Since the reform and opening up, the State Council has issued the “Outline of the National Fitness Program” and the “Olympic Competition Program”, which have promoted the development of China’s sports industry, and in this regard, our country has become one of the major sports countries, so that China’s sports industry has stepped into a completely new stage of development. Now that socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, the Party has put forward new requirements for the development of China’s sports, that is, to promote China’s development from a big sports country to a strong sports country. In the report of the 19th Party Congress, it is pointed out that “widely carry out national fitness activities and accelerate the construction of a strong sports country”, and then General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward new ideas and requirements for accelerating the construction of a strong sports country on different occasions. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that to build a strong sports country, party committees and governments at all levels must adhere to the people-centered ideology, always take the people as the main body of the development of sports, and take meeting the people’s fitness needs and promoting the overall development of people as the starting point and ending point of sports work. The new concept put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping is in the same vein as the Party’s idea of “sports for all” during the Yan’an period, when the Party always attached great importance to the people’s physical health, and repeatedly instructed the Party to develop “sports for all” and strengthen the people’s physique. Today, we are promoting the construction of a strong sports country in the process, we must protect the people’s right to sports, increase the development of “sports for all”, adhere to the sports is for the people, party committees and governments at all levels to actively organize the military and civilian to carry out various types of sports and games, in order to better adhere to the development of sports for the people, and to promote China’s development towards a strong sports country. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/assc Advances in Social Science and Culture Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 120 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 4.2 Develop the Idea of “Sports to Protect the Country” and Promote the Road to a Strong Military with Chinese Characteristics Xi Jinping’s strategic thought of strengthening the military with Chinese characteristics in the new era takes the strengthening of the military as the main focus, leading the construction of national defense and military construction. Throughout all periods of China’s history, building a strong people’s army has always been the unremitting pursuit of our Party. In order to build a strong people’s army, the Party has timely adjusted its strategic program according to changes in the situation and tasks, leading our army to move forward. Xi Jinping pointed out that “the Party’s goal of a strong army in the new era is to build a people’s army that listens to the Party’s command, is capable of winning battles and has an excellent style of work, and to build the people’s army into a world-class army.” Listening to the Party’s command, being capable of winning battles, and having an excellent style of work are the Party’s goal of a strong army in the new era, and the three are closely linked and inseparable. Among them, being able to fight and win battles is the key to a strong army, which requires strengthening the ability to lead soldiers into battle and training the army in daily training to enhance the combat effectiveness of the army. Our Party has consistently emphasized the role of military sports in enhancing the army’s combat effectiveness. General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed at the opening ceremony of the 7th World Military Games that “sports are an important symbol of social development and human progress, and an important part of humanistic exchanges. The military and sports have a natural connection, shooting, marathon and many other sports programs have their origins in the military. Military sports can strengthen the physical fitness of officers and soldiers, unite military morale, display the image of the military, and promote military exchanges.” This is in line with the Party’s idea of “sports for the defense of the country” during the Yan’an period, when the Party believed that the military should pay attention to the development of military sports, and that soldiers must strengthen their sports training, so that they can improve the combat effectiveness of the military and the military can take up the important task of defending the country. Today, under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s idea of a strong army with Chinese characteristics in the new era, China is taking a road of a strong army with Chinese characteristics. History is always a source of inspiration. Under the specific historical conditions of the Yan’an period, the Party put forward the idea of “sports and defense of the country”, which strengthened the physical fitness of soldiers and improved the combat effectiveness of the army, and played a very positive role in the revolutionary war period. This provides a useful reference for promoting the road of strengthening the army with Chinese characteristics in the new era. In the new era in the army training, we must play the role of military sports in strengthening the army, and actively organize military sports training and military sports games for soldiers, but also take the World Military Games as an opportunity to increase the training of equestrian, shooting, track and field, orienteering and cross-country, water rescue, parachute jumping and other projects, to effectively strengthen the military physical fitness and enhance the army’s combat www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/assc Advances in Social Science and Culture Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 121 Published by SCHOLINK INC. effectiveness, and promote the road of strengthening the army with Chinese characteristics. It is worth mentioning that in the 7th World Military Games held in Wuhan before, China’s army sports delegation won 133 gold medals in the current military games, ranked first in the gold medal list, creating the best record in the history of China’s participation in the military games, and for the rest of the world to show the pursuit of excellence in the Chinese military, not afraid of pain, not afraid of death of the glorious tradition. Xi Jinping, chairman of the central military commission, signed a general order, commendation to participate in the seventh world military games athletes, coaches, commendation order pointed out that: “your tenacious and outstanding performance, centrally shows that our military sports team is a party command, can win battles, excellent style of hard team, fully demonstrated the reform of the army’s new image of the new changes in the new style! “The commendation order calls:” the whole army troops and the general officers and soldiers should learn from the athletes and coaches who participated in the 7th World Military Games, to realize the Party’s goal of strengthening the army in the new era, and to build the people’s army into a world-class army in all respects!” This points out the direction for the construction and development of China’s army in the new era, that is, the development of military sports, improve the sense of mission and sense of responsibility of military personnel, and help the road of strong army with Chinese characteristics. 4.3 Developing the Idea of “Competitive Sports” to Promote the Diplomacy of a Great Power with Chinese Characteristics Sports play a very important role in promoting the diplomacy of a great power with Chinese characteristics. After decades of efforts, China has become a major sports country, and sports play a pivotal role in the international sports arena. China has always emphasized the important role of sports in promoting diplomacy. As early as during the socialist construction period, the Party put forward the idea that through the development of competitive sports and sports exchanges, we could strengthen our ties with other countries, enhance exchanges and cooperation with other countries, and promote the development of our diplomatic cause. Today, we stand on a new historical starting point, we need to continue to carry forward the Yan’an period of the Party in the masses to develop “competitive sports” ideas, not long ago, the attention of millions of people in the 24th Winter Olympic Games held in Beijing, since then Beijing became the first in history to run the summer and winter games at the same time the city of the double, in the Winter Olympic Games, the Chinese athletes, the Chinese athletes, the Chinese athletes, the Chinese athletes, the Chinese athletes, the Chinese athletes, the Chinese athletes, the Chinese athletes, the Chinese athletes, the Chinese athletes and the Chinese athletes. At the Winter Olympics, Chinese athletes galloped on the sports field, fought hard, and made unremitting efforts to achieve good results, showing the world China’s strength and China’s image. Xi Jinping pointed out: “The goal of the Olympic Movement is to realize the comprehensive development of human beings. We should follow the trend of the times, adhere to the common values of all mankind of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, promote exchanges and mutual understanding of different civilizations, www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/assc Advances in Social Science and Culture Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 122 Published by SCHOLINK INC. and jointly build a community of human destiny.” Participation in competitive sports through participation in the Olympic Games is an important means of exchange and cooperation among different countries and peoples of the world. Therefore, we should make full use of the opportunity of organizing and participating in all kinds of large-scale sports events to tell a good Chinese story to the people of the world. At the same time, we should understand and learn from the outstanding cultures of the world. As the slogan of the Beijing Winter Olympics says, “Together to the future”, China is willing to work with the rest of the world to move forward to a better future, and to provide strong impetus for the promotion of great power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. 5. Conclusion In the era of extreme material scarcity, sports in the border areas were quite fruitful. The main reason for this is that the party centralized and unified leadership of sports, always made the people as the center and insisted on sports for the people. On this basis, the party also creatively utilized the educative function of sports to raise the ideological awareness of the military and the people. These successful experiences provide useful reference for China in the new era to promote the construction of a strong sports nation and the road to a strong military with Chinese characteristics. Reference Cai, C. M., Guo, F. B., & Shi, C. Z. (2023). 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