Comparative Study of Chinese Cuju and Western Football Sport: from the Perspective of Cultural Differences between the East and the West

Abstract

Cuju was widely played in the 4th century B.C. in Linzi, the capital of Qi State. While, it was not until the early 19th century that football became popular in the UK. Although the emergence of Cuju was 1,500 years earlier than football, the culture of Cuju had long disappeared into the river of history. However, modern football has developed into the “world’s first sport”, which intoxicate the world fans. Based on the theory of inter-cultural communication, this paper starts from the development of Cuju and football, discusses the differences between Eastern and Western football cultures and analyzes the reasons for them. In modern society, football is not only a competition on the playing ground, but also a bridge of cultural communication between the East and the West. Especially after successfully hosting the Beijing Olympic Games, China has had a deep communication with other countries. Under such circumstance, it is essential to understand the differences between Eastern and Western football cultures.