Venue
September 13 to October 3, 1959
Beijing Workers’ Stadium
Beijing, China
Description
The First National Games of the People’s Republic of China were held on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the founding of New China.
The Games were aimed at reviewing the achievements made by the people in the past decade in the spirit of “Promoting physical culture and building up the people’s health.” During the competitions, the athletes vied with one another to greet the 10th National Day with their outstanding performances.
Present at the opening ceremony were state leaders Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Dong Biwu, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, Lin Boqu, Peng Zhen, Luo Ronghua, Li Xiannian and Tan Zhenlin. It was an indication of the importance the Chinese Government attached to the Games.
A total of 10,600 athletes from all parts of the country competed in 36 events. In addition, there were 6 demonstration events. The results were very encouraging. Four world records were shattered by seven contestants in swimming, track and field, shooting and aeromodels, and 106 national records were chalked up by 664 athletes on 844 occasions. Among these, the national records in all the 20 men’s and women’s archery events were smashed, and the number of rowers who had set new records in all the eight rowing events totaled 298.
The Chinese military sports delegation competed in 28 events and participated in 3 demonstration events. It captured 20 team titles, topping the list in team standing.
Results
A total of 169 events were held in the Changquan (Long Fist) category and 60 in the Taijiquan category. The champions in these two categories were Shao Shankang and Yang Bingcheng, both representing the Shanghai team.
Shao Shankang was previously renowned for his unique mastery of Drunken Fist; his decade-long, unwavering dedication to rigorous training—rising at dawn to practice—honed his multifaceted skills. In this competition, he performed Guandong Quan (a style of Changquan), executing movements such as darting, leaping, jumping, vaulting, falling, and rolling with agility and clarity. His performance demonstrated true martial prowess, blending softness with hardness.
Meanwhile, Yang Bingcheng’s performance of Wu-style Taijiquan—characterized by a blend of softness and hardness, expansive and poised movements, and graceful coordination—stood out as exceptional in the Taijiquan category.