The 7 Most Popular Sports in China and How Long They Have Been Played

China has had an interesting history with sports. There are many sports that even originated from the legendary country. Some have greater value than others. Likewise, some are incredibly popular with the people of China.

There is not much of a debate about what the seven most popular sports in China are, as we have seen the love they get. But now, we will get to tell you why they are so popular as well as when their popularity blossomed and began.

Karate and martial arts are huge in China. Notably, they have a great history, too. It allegedly started 4,000 years ago during the Xia Dynasty. Apparently, martial arts began due to the need for self-defense. It’s not surprising that the number one pull for karate and martial arts classes is teaching people how to defend themselves. The East Asian Karate Championship is a big event that still draws many Chinese spectators. Overall, karate remains one of the oldest and most popular sports in China.

According to Statista, about 7 million people in China entered running competitions in 2019. It is a great way to stay in shape as it offers great cardio. You can also do it with friends. Therefore, running makes our list as one of the most popular sports in China because it is one of the activities that continues to grow.

Running is as much to exercise as esports is to mental stimulation. Yet, it is incredibly popular in China. PlayToday revealed that China has the highest-earning esports players in the world. It is popular in other countries across the world, such as the United States. But China takes the lead in this category and continues to rise in popularity.

Badminton is one of the sports that people prefer to play more than watch. It is simply a fun sport to play. You are constantly shuffling your feet to ensure you get the birdie. Yes, the object you hit is sometimes called the birdie. Some people call it the shuttle. Badminton came to China in the 1950s. It’s been popular ever since and continues to be one of the best in the country.

Table tennis is fun. You can play it inside or outside. Table tennis came from the United Kingdom. But it came to China around 1910. Since then, the sport has grown. China hosts the World Table Tennis Tournament yearly. The 2020 Olympics saw the biggest highlight when 350 million people in China watched table tennis during the summer games. Naturally, people enjoy playing this because of the back-and-forth action.

The Chinese National team does not make the World Cup often. Despite that, the sport of football (called soccer in America) is still amazingly popular. Statista reported that 200 million people watched football in China. Many people enjoy playing the sport as well. Curiously, many believe that football started in China during the Han Dynasty. There was a sport called Cuju that was very similar. Therefore, football has retained its popularity over the years.

Western sports are usually banned in China. But things have changed over the years. Now, basketball has exploded in popularity. The NBA saw two Chinese superstars. First, there was Yao Ming. he came into the league and helped the Houston Rockets make it to the second round during the 2009 NBA playoffs before fracturing his foot. Ming finished with career marks of 19 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, Lin made his breakthrough with the New York Knicks in 2012 during the “Linsanity” run. He played with eight teams throughout his NBA career and finished with 11.6 points per game.

Reuters noted that NBA viewership in China jumped in 2022 from the previous season by 80 percent. Moreover, then audience in China uses streaming sites to keep up with some of their favorite teams. Basketball is by far the most popular sport in China.

Summary of the 7 Most Popular Sports in China

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