Why are 56 ethnic groups participating in ethnic minority sports?

The gorgeous redbuds and bougainvillea bloom in the Flower City in November. Brothers and sisters from 56 ethnic groups from all over the motherland gather happily in Yangcheng, South China. On November 10, the Eighth National Ethnic Minority Traditional Sports Games, a grand sports event and a grand happy festival for all ethnic groups, opened in Guangzhou.

The National "Olympic Games" with Chinese characteristics

The National Ethnic Games was the first national sports event held in 1953 after the founding of the People's Republic of China. The National Games was not launched until six years later. . Although there is no Olympic event and most of the contestants are not professional athletes, the National Ethnic Traditional Sports Games is the most widely participated sports event with the highest health and happiness.

China is a unified multi-ethnic country composed of 56 ethnic groups. After the birth of New China under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, equality and unity of all ethnic groups and the system of regional ethnic autonomy have become distinctive features of the socialist system. At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, when everything was in dire straits, holding sports performances and competitions with the participation of various ethnic minorities not only provided a stage for each ethnic group to display their excellent sports culture and a new style of being the masters of their country, but also provided a platform for the people of all ethnic groups to step out of the Hometown provides opportunities to gather and communicate with brothers and sisters of all ethnic groups, and has become a powerful force in uniting all ethnic groups to build a new China.

On November 8, 1953, the "National National Sports Performance and Competition Conference" was held in Tianjin. This is the first national sports event held in New China. 395 athletes from 13 ethnic groups, including Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu and Korean, participated in the games. For the first time, ethnic minorities who have been oppressed and discriminated against in history have displayed their traditional folk sports on the national sports stage, which is of epoch-making significance in the history of Chinese sports.

Due to historical reasons, the National Ethnic Games were once suspended. Until 1982, the Second National Ethnic Games was held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In 2005, the "Several Provisions of the State Council on the Implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Regional Ethnic Autonomy" clearly stated that "traditional ethnic minority sports games should be held regularly."

The National Games has become a grand event for the Chinese nation, with growing appeal and influence. The games are hosted in places ranging from Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Guangxi, Yunnan, to Beijing and Tibet. , and the last Ningxia, from north to south, from west to east, the National Games "traveled" to the five major ethnic autonomous regions of the motherland. Today, the National Games came to the southeast coast for the first time, to Guangzhou, the forefront of reform and opening up.

The stage of equality and unity, a stage of national style

After 54 years of ups and downs, the National Ethnic Games not only showcases national sports in a colorful way, but also resembles a colorful ribbon. The unique charm closely connects the hearts of brothers and sisters of all ethnic groups.

The National Ethnic Games continue to tell stories about reunions. In the first Games, only 395 athletes from 13 ethnic minorities participated. However, in the Third Games held in Urumqi in 1986, athletes from 55 ethnic minorities across the country participated; and in the Eighth Games held in Guangzhou, the number of athletes registered reached 6381 people.

At the Fourth National Ethnic Games held in Nanning in 1991, Taiwan's ethnic minority dragon boat teams and song and dance art troupes participated in competitions and performances for the first time.

Since the third session, observation groups from Hong Kong and Macao have been invited to watch competitions and performances every time. Compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan have achieved great reunion with people of all ethnic groups through the special form of ethnic minority sports. There are 60 people in the Taiwan Provincial delegation this year, including 28 middle school students participating in competitions and performances.

"Equality, unity, progress and prosperity" has always been the distinctive theme of the National Ethnic Games; "Developing national sports, enhancing national physique, strengthening national unity, and inspiring the national spirit" will always be the theme of the National Ethnic Games. The purpose of change.

Successive National Ethnic Games have left a profound imprint of the times, and I have felt the warmth of the party’s ethnic policies and the cordial care of the central leadership collectives of all generations.

Wonderful competitions and performances, as well as appreciation and cheers from people of all ethnic groups, have made traditional national sports that once "entertained themselves" in small worlds shine brilliantly on the big stage across the country. This is the first time that the yellow mud drum from Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County in Guangxi has participated in the National Ethnic Games as a performance item. Wu Huilin, a 50-year-old man from the Yao ethnic group, couldn’t restrain his joy when he talked about the yellow mud drum that has been passed down from generation to generation. He said: "The yellow mud drum Drumming was originally just a self-entertainment program for our Yao villagers, but now it has been accepted by more and more people. This time it is displayed at the National Ethnic Games, it is the greatest recognition of our national traditional sports. ”

The same song echoes in the hearts of fifty-six ethnic groups

The Eighth National Ethnic Games proposed "Unite, be strong, and strive for a well-off society", which fully expresses the common aspirations of the people of all ethnic groups. . The development of ethnic sports activities is becoming a powerful driving force for the economic development, prosperity and progress of ethnic minority areas.

The economic and social development of ethnic minority areas in Yunnan Province has undergone earth-shaking changes in recent years. Mu Zhen, deputy director of the Yunnan Provincial Ethnic Affairs Commission, said: "The National Games is a window to showcase national sports and national culture. Many projects have become well-known after participating in the Games and have become famous local cultural brands. For example, at the last National Ethnic Games, Yunnan Province won Several gold medal projects were invited to perform at the China Folk Culture Village in Shenzhen for four days immediately after the Games. Tens of thousands of spectators watched these programs. Nowadays, many tourists come to Yunnan to watch these performances. and cultural activities have attracted a large number of tourists for tourism, which has greatly promoted the development of the local economy.”

The National Games showcase the spirit of unity and progress of people of all ethnic groups, and also demonstrate the party’s ethnic policies and reforms. Opening up has brought huge changes to ethnic minority areas. Due to reform and opening up, the economic and social development of China's ethnic minority areas has accelerated significantly; since 2000, the average annual GDP growth rate of ethnic minority areas has reached 10%. The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China's first ethnic minority autonomous region, celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Its per capita GDP has risen from less than 100 yuan to more than 20,000 yuan, ranking among the top ten in the country.

The development of ethnic minority areas cannot be separated from the support of the people of the whole country, especially the coastal areas that became rich first. Guangzhou, the host city of this year's National Ethnic Games, and its people have deep feelings for the ethnic minorities. For more than ten years, Guangzhou has used capital, technology, economy and trade, education and other means to "get rich first and help others get rich later", and join hands with ethnic minority areas to walk side by side on the road to prosperity. As early as 2001, the Guangzhou Municipal Government allocated a special fund of 300 million yuan to establish the "Guangzhou Special Fund for Poverty-stricken Student Aid" in Sichuan, Tibet, and Guangxi. Currently, more than 6,000 poor college students receive funding every year, most of whom are ethnic minorities. Children. In the past ten years, Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City have allocated 170 million yuan in funds to build immigrant resettlement development zones in several counties in Baise, Guangxi, helping 42,000 relocated immigrants to relieve their difficulties. Government officials from all walks of life donated more than 100 million yuan to build Hope Primary and Secondary Schools, which solved the problem of difficulty in enrolling more than 80,000 children in Baise area.

For the first time, a developed coastal area hosted the largest National Ethnic Games in history, which is of extraordinary significance. Guangzhou Mayor Zhang Guangning said: "Guangzhou, with less than 2% of the ethnic minority population, hosting the Ethnic Games shows to the world that the development of ethnic sports is not only a matter for ethnic areas, but also a cause for the entire nation, including Han areas. "

"The eagle soaring in the sky, the galloping horse on the ground, chasing the wind and the sun, so that the journey is beautiful and graceful, the Great China, the vigorous Great China, the fifty-six ethnic groups are walking under the sun, Hold hands and set off together with the world..." The anthem of the 8th National Ethnic Traditional Sports Games "Strong China" expresses the unified voice of brothers and sisters of all ethnic groups