China is a large sports nation and a powerhouse in Olympic sports.
The Asian Giant led the gold medal count at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, capturing 51 golds. At the Los Angeles, Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics, China came fourth in the gold medal tally, respectively, and at the Athens Olympics, moved up to the second spot.
Major Games
Although China has long been associated with the martial arts, a large number of sports activities, both Western and traditionally Chinese, are enjoying high popularity in today's China.
Basketball, soccer, tennis and table tennis are the main sports in China. In the past few years, China's boxing has achieved a series of historical breakthroughs in the Olympics.
Traditional sports with distinct Chinese characteristics are also very popular, including martial arts, taijiquan and qigong.
The Business Side
Prior to the 1990s, sports in China, as in some other countries, were completely government-funded.
The situation beg...
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