英文摘要
|
This study mainly uses data released by the semi-public media: Taiwan Daily News and Chinese Taiwan Daily News, and education publications: Taiwan Education Association Magazine and Taiwan Prefecture Mandarin School Alumni Association Magazine, during the Japanese colonial period between 1895 to 1912, to conduct a historical exploration of swimming sports in Taiwan's society and school education during the settlement and development of Japanese colonization, and, at the same time, to observe the progress of the sports in their course of progressive development. Given political unrest during the early Japanese colonial period in Taiwan, some defensive sports, such as martial arts, were more stressed at that time. However, with the advent of political stability, more attention started to be paid to leisure sports. Thus, swimming sports began in a ”physical recreation club”, in which a ”swimming division” was established in 1907 to initiate swimming sports in Taiwan. Later on, the ”Chuan Duan Swimming pool” was established beside the Xindian River at Guting Village in Taipei. It was a swimming practice site where exclusive personnel were designated to maintain the facilities. Different from the laid-back swimming in the Danshui River enjoyed by Taiwanese at that time, the newly established ”man-made swimming model” effectively lowered the dangers of swimming. Nevertheless, given the fact that those swimming facilities were built mostly for Japanese colonists, a majority of Taiwanese found it more difficult to approach the swimming facilities even though a few Taiwanese gentlemen might be able to access them. On top of this, swimming was not part of the major curriculum in the school education system during the early Japanese colonial period. To compound matters, the rooted superstition regarding swimming made Taiwanese leaning swimming negatively. As a result, it was more difficult for them to learn how to swim. As opposed to Taiwanese's indifference to swimming, Japanese students swam during their summer vacations after the establishment of ”Chuan Duan Swimming pool”. In spite of the difference between Taiwanese and Japanese students regarding swimming sports, the fact is that Taiwan's swimming model was initiated by Japanese development of swimming sports in Taiwan. By having gone through recreation playing and living skills, swimming has come a long way to become a truly modern sport in Taiwan.
|