Stadium To Defend The Country "to" Salvation Survival "beacon - Public Stadium (1917-1949),

The paper is on Shanghai Public Stadium, with focuse on its sports function and political assembly.Opium War of 1840, the beginning of modern Chinese history, opened a prelude to Western Learning of late Qing Dynasty. Shanghai became the first group of trading ports opened to the world. Decades later, it became the commercial and cultural center of modern China. Since then, different kinds of western culture spread around China. As one of the cultural pattern, sports culture infiltrated into the daily life, ideas and other level of Shanghai people.The Shanghai Public Stadium, built in 1917, was the first stadium built by Chinese people, which was accompanied by establishment of International Settlement, the introduction of western way of life and the rise of modern sports culture. The Chinese political situation of 1930s was very bad. The concept of"strengthening the breed, preserving the country" went to the deep heart of people. The publics enthusiasm for physical exercise was very high. The public stadium provided a very important venue for people to do sports and hold sports events. The 400 sprint record Ho Desheng came from The Shanghai Public Stadium. Lots of famous football teams such as"Leather Hua"and"Quan Hei"came there too. The Shanghai Public Stadium promoted the development of Shanghai public sports and competitive sports, and translation of traditional sports to the modern sports culture.The Shanghai Public Stadium was built during a period filled with public revolution and its located on the boundary between controlling identities of imperialism and feudalism, which made the stadium destined to witnessed mass revolutionary and political storm. So the stadium became as a public space, for political assembly and struggle. Some important political movement in modern China such as May Fourth Movement, May Thirtieth Movement and anti-Japanese National Salvation Movement all held there. The Shanghai Public Stadium like a revolution "beacon" , demonstrating the glory tradition of Shanghai people's against imperialism and feudalism. With these political movements, concepts and ideas such as democracy, national consciousness, and social responsibility spread to the public.