Beyond marginalisation: reimagining and glocalising physical education in China

Physical Education (PE) occupies a paradoxical position in China: constitutionally mandated yet persistently marginalised within a system that prioritises cognitive attainment and measurable academic outputs. This paper critically examines the ideological, cultural, and neoliberal forces underpinning this marginalisation, situating the Chinese case within broader global trends while attending to its distinct historical and philosophical contexts. We argue that its marginalisation is not a mere logistical failure but an onto-epistemological crisis rooted in a constellation of mutually reinforcing discourses. These include the enduring Chinese cultural hierarchy of ‘Zhong Wen Qing Wu’ (valuing the literary over the physical), which is amplified by the high-stakes Gaokao examination system; the influence of Western mind-body dualism, which devalues embodied knowing; and the ascendancy of a neoliberal utilitarianism that reduces education to market utility. Together, these forces create a destructive cycle that instrumentalises PE for narrow health metrics while stripping it of its broader humanistic value. Moving beyond critique, this paper proposes a strategy of ‘glocalisation’ as a robust path forward. We contend that a meaningful revaluation of PE requires a dialectical process: engaging with global scholarly turns toward embodiment while simultaneously reclaiming indigenous Chinese philosophical resources. Specifically, we articulate a framework grounded in Taoist concepts of the lived body (Shen), spontaneity (Ziran), and non-coercive action (Wuwei). The proposed framework displaces the dualistic, mechanical body with a processual, relational, and phenomenologically rich understanding of the lived body, offering a culturally resonant and philosophically robust basis for reimagining PE. By advancing this counter-ontology, the paper contributes to ongoing international debates on the epistemological status of PE and offers pathways for restoring its centrality in nurturing whole persons and fostering human flourishing.