Exploring Sustainable Development Pathways of Chinese Traditional Folk Sport: Dragon and Lion Dance in Physical Education

Abstract

Under the pressure of globalization and cultural homogenization, Dragon and Lion Dance, recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage of China, faces serious challenges, including a broken inheritance chain and weakened cultural values. The World Report on the Protection of Folk Sports (UNESCO, 2023) pointed out that 83 percent of traditional physical practices have lost their original context in the process of modernization. Dragon and Lion Dance, which possesses both ritual and performative characteristics, has therefore experienced even more prominent problems in transmission. The school education system, regarded as the primary arena for cultural reproduction, has been internationally acknowledged as an important medium for sustaining the vitality of folk sports. This research, based on the theoretical frameworks of cultural communication and the sociology of education, employs a mixed-methods approach to systematically examine the current operation of Dragon and Lion Dance in the educational system. By analyzing relevant data, it provides an in-depth discussion on the organization of school activities, the problems encountered, and possible pathways for sustainable development. This study not only proposes feasible action plans for the transmission of Dragon and Lion Dance in schools but also fills a theoretical gap in the study of mechanisms for transmitting intangible cultural heritage. In addition, it provides a Chinese case study for international comparison concerning the inheritance of folk sports in the modern world.