People are curious to know when China first took part in the Olympics. It is officially recognized that China's Olympic bid intention dates back to 1908, when the Tianjin Youth magazine asked when China would send its athletes to the Olympic Games and when China would host the Olympic Games.

Interscholasticmeet organized by YMCA in the early years of the Republic of China

However, the earliest involvement between China and the Olympics might trace back to 1894 when Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern event, and the then Greek prince issued an invitation to Qing Dynasty rulers through the French Embassy in China. They asked them to send athletes to the first Modern Olympiad, to be held in Athens in 1896, but the Qing government didn't reply due to their unfamiliarity with sports events. Yet, it remains a riddle whether the Qing court received a letter of invitation from the IOC at all.

In 1904, some Chinese newspapers reported stories about the third Olympics, which were held in St Louis in the United States. In 1906, a domestic magazine introduced the history of the Olympic movement to readers.

On October 24, 1907, the renowned educationist Zhang Boling delivered a speech on the Olympics after a sports meet in Tianjin. He said China should learn from European countries that sent their athletes to compete in the Olympics, regardless of the results.

After the fourth Olympiad concluded in London in 1908, Tianjin Youth magazine covered the history of the events and suggested that China should hold its own version. Some activists showed slides from the London Olympics and gave speeches on it.

Probably, this is the very origin of China’s Olympic dream.