Greetings to all and sundry from a rather ornate and well-appointed tea-house in the East of Dongguan City. The man who owns this place runs it as something of a labour of love it seems. He has made a decent living in Chinese finance for quite some years now and chooses to devote some of his 'hard-earned' to create a very pleasant place of rest and recuperation, rather than trying to make much out of the business itself. The appointments are of an extreme solidity and of a distinctly antique style, much as one sees in the pavilions of Hongzhou's West Lake or the gardens of Suzhou.
Such places are a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of the hot and humid streets outside. This place actually has a small garden between the tea house itself and the road. It is made out in what I would have thought previously as Japanese Zen style: islands, gravel and bonsai trees; but I am assured it actually owes its heritage to much older Chinese traditions which migrated across to the land of the rising sun many centuries ago.
Outside, in an open space next to the garden, a friend of mine teaches tai chi fan to a group of would-be students. Every now and again the air is ripped asunder by the surprisingly loud crack of the fans being opened at high speed, propelled by a skilful flick of the wrist. Even if the idea of using a fan as a means of defense seems somewhat quaint, it is nevertheless quite impressive when one sees it demonstrated.
The charm of such skilful practices, and the quaintness of the surroundings, contrast greatly with the busy-ness of the street outside, the noise of the cars, the rather grubby local shops, the rush of the people but, for me at least, this is no longer surprising as China is forever a land of contrasts. At times one could almost cry with frustration whilst at others find one's self lost in admiration at some wonderfully subtle expression of the underlying culture.
One such aspect that one can but admire is the way the socialist system here provides all that is needed for the people to look after themselves physically. In every town, and many times in the larger cities, one will find open spaces where people are allowed, encouraged even, to so such things as group exercise, dance or practice tai chi. In smaller towns like Yangshuo, these gatherings may only consist of a few people, in the larger cities it is not unusual to see several hundred, or even thousands, engaged in such activities. A truly impressive sight and quite an enjoyable experience to share, although when I have plucked up the courage to do so, I have inevitably becomes the object of much curiosity, threatening to halt proceedings on occasions!
The government also provide what are known as 'gym parks'. These are inevitably massive affairs and usually quite well equipped. The local one, about 100 metres from where I am currently staying, consists of four tennis courts, eight basketball courts (Dongguan considers itself the 'city of basketball'), four table tennis tables, numerous and varied pieces of sturdy fitness apparatus and an open green area free for anyone who wishes to practice any other type of appropriate physical exercise.
The cost of all these impressive facilities is … nothing, zilch, not a bean. The contrast with the UK and the US (and much of Europe for that matter) could not be starker. Where such facilities exist in the West, they are a priced in such a way as to make them unaffordable for the vast majority, especially the youngsters. The Chinese state seems to view it as part of its role to ensure that the youth of the country has adequate (far more than adequate, it would seem) facilities to enable their energies to be used in constructive and healthy ways.
Perhaps because of this, one of the pleasanter aspects of life in China is that one barely ever feels under threat from gatherings of youths hanging about on street corners. Youngsters here seem relatively content, interested and socially included. Again this is in such stark contrast to the UK, where the poor so and so's have little or nothing to do (legally, at least) and often find themselves socially ostracized and, to add insult to injury, blamed for their predicament. The thought of providing a positive outlet for
their energies could not be further from the current UK government's thinking.
One also cannot but help notice the relative state of fitness of the youth of China. They are noticeably bigger and stronger than their parents and, with a few exceptions, look to be very healthy and fit. In contrast, one thinks of the ubiquitous 'couch-potato' culture that has gripped teenagers in the US and the UK, with all the concomitant problems of limited attention spans, social ineptitude and obesity. Something tells me that in this area at least, the Chinese have a far, far superior, and indeed a much more pragmatic, attitude.
Back in the tea house I find myself pondering these matters. I do not consider myself a socialist and have seen the deleterious effects of communist systems in the old Soviet Union and East Germany in my time, but perhaps my leanings have a tendency to be gently to the left. Perhaps idealism itself is the problem, and what is needed is a pragmatically eclectic approach, taking the best of each system whilst discarding the worst? If nothing else is achieved during these prolonged sojourns of mine, they at least give one pause for thought...
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