Bodybuilding in China
Why this is trending
Interest in “Bodybuilding in China” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-07-22.
Categorised under Geography & Places, this article fits a familiar pattern. wt.cat.geography.1
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Key Takeaways
- Bodybuilding in China dates back to the 1930s.
- However, its early history was marred with controversy, and the Chinese Communist Party, led by Chairman Mao Zedong, publicly condemned the sport and officially banned it in 1953.
- Competitions for women were held soon afterwards.
- History 1930s−1950s: Genesis and later ban by government Bodybuilding was first practiced in China in the 1930s; Cantonese Zhao Zhuguang ( 趙竹光 ), described as the "original Chinese Charles Atlas", is credited with the introduction of bodybuilding to the country.
- He shared the newfound knowledge with his fellow schoolmates, and together they started promoting the sport at Hujiang University ( 滬江大學 ) in Shanghai.
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Source summary
WikipediaBodybuilding in China dates back to the 1930s. It was first introduced to the Chinese in Shanghai, when missionary school attendee Zhao Zhuguang started promoting it, having attended overseas bodybuilding courses. However, its early history was marred with controversy, and the Chinese Communist Party, led by Chairman Mao Zedong, publicly condemned the sport and officially banned it in 1953. The ban was only abolished close to three decades later; thereafter, bodybuilding contests for men started to be organised, and China became a member of the International Bodybuilding Federation in 1985. Competitions for women were held soon afterwards. China now has a national federation governing bodybuilding in the country, the Chinese Bodybuilding Association.
Bodybuilding was first practiced in China in the 1930s; Cantonese Zhao Zhuguang (趙竹光), described as the "original Chinese Charles Atlas", is credited with the introduction of bodybuilding to the country. Zhao studied at a missionary school in Shanghai and later went to the United States, where he attended seminars and workshops on bodybuilding to help boost his health and physique. He shared the newfound knowledge with his fellow schoolmates, and together they started promoting the sport at Hujiang University (滬江大學) in Shanghai. In 1934, Zhao Zhuguang authored a book on bodybuilding, titled Muscle Growth Methods (肌肉發達法).
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