The transformation of Qianggu into a sport

Focusing on the elements of extreme sports

Abstract

A study on the transformation of traditional Taiwanese sport: On the elements of "Extreme Sport" in Yilan Toucheng Qianggu The "Toucheng Qianggu Folk Culture Festival" is conducted as an annual local event in Toucheng, Yilan County, in the North-East of Taiwan. Qianggu takes place in July according to the lunar calendar (August in the solar calendar) during the period called chugen-setsu (Zhongyuanjie) and is said to have been introduced from Fujian Province in China about 200 years ago. A characteristic of Qianggu is the incorporation of competitive elements such as scrambling for a flag, attached to a high pole about 20 meters above the ground. Qianggu was originally considered a religious and cultural activity. While previous studies did point out that Qianggu was a sport, the element of participants "enjoying the extreme thrill" through taking part in a competition high above the ground only recently gained attention. This element of thrill can be regarded as a characteristic of "Extreme Sport" which is a new genre differing from traditional competitive sports. Extreme Sports as an aspect of "extreme thrill" are portrayed in the media as sports involving danger popular among young people. The aim of this paper is to discuss the transformation of Qianggu into a sport, especially focusing on its similarities with elements of extreme sports, while considering its traits as a traditional sport with underlying values and innovative aspects.