I have mentioned in one of my earlier posts that the Chinese like all sorts of activities and that they are quite active and sporty. A colleague has told me that around twenty years ago a crisis hit the country and wages and pensions were cut. Depression hit the people and they felt they needed to do something in order not to get crazy and kill or harm themselves. So they started gathering on squares to the so-called square dancing.
Now you see, predominantly older people, early in the morning and in the early evening, en mass on various squares, gathered in groups of all sizes either dancing, doing yoga, performing Tai-Chi or some other sort of activity. Depending on the area, many gather in parks too. In central Guiyang for example, there are no major parks, so people meet on squares or on a platform by the river. In Shanghai for example, where there is a park near the university I work at, it gets very busy early in the morning. And with early, I mean early, 5.30 - 6.00am is starting time, at least in summer.
What started out of depression has become a nationwide movement and even the younger generation joins in. You see grannies dancing with their grandchildren and also middle aged people doing yoga or something else.
The first two videos where taken from the window of my gym in Huaguoyuan in Guiyang, that's why there's no sound. It was on a weekday around 7.30am. The third was taken on a square in downtown Guiyang on a Sunday afternoon.
Now you see, predominantly older people, early in the morning and in the early evening, en mass on various squares, gathered in groups of all sizes either dancing, doing yoga, performing Tai-Chi or some other sort of activity. Depending on the area, many gather in parks too. In central Guiyang for example, there are no major parks, so people meet on squares or on a platform by the river. In Shanghai for example, where there is a park near the university I work at, it gets very busy early in the morning. And with early, I mean early, 5.30 - 6.00am is starting time, at least in summer.
What started out of depression has become a nationwide movement and even the younger generation joins in. You see grannies dancing with their grandchildren and also middle aged people doing yoga or something else.
The first two videos where taken from the window of my gym in Huaguoyuan in Guiyang, that's why there's no sound. It was on a weekday around 7.30am. The third was taken on a square in downtown Guiyang on a Sunday afternoon.
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