On Saturday morning we got up at 5am and by about 6.30 we were at Tiantan Park. Already there were many, many Chinese there, mostly old people. Tiāntán (Altar of Heaven) used to be the place where the Emperor went to pray for good harvests on behalf of the Chinese people. Now it is a public park, although with an entrance fee.
In the park, the first group that we saw were practising a traditional fan dance - the sound each time the fans all whip open is dramatic. Next to them, people were practising calligraphy, writing on the paving slabs using water and brushes made of sponge. Next to them another group were practising another Chinese dance, rather like a cross between a foxtrot and waltz. In among the trees we saw several groups practising tàijíquán (Tai Chi) and other exercises. A few were practising sword dances.
As well as the groups, there were many individuals. Some were practising taijiquan, others were walking backwards along the straight paths, still others were walking along clapping their hands in front of themselves or slapping their muscles. One lady taught us how to play a Chinese game called tàijíhuílìqiú. Each player has one or two rackets and they throw a hard, cloth-wrapped ball, about 9cm in diameter. Instead of hitting it back as in tennis, the ball is caught each time on the flat of the racquet, and then thrown back. Another popular game which we saw uses a weight with feathers attached. This is used to play a form of keepie-uppie.
Parks are very popular with the Chinese. I guess the situation is similar to London where most people do not have their own green space, so the public ones are very well used. Another common outdoor activity is kite-flying. Any open space can be used for this - Tian'anmen Square is a typical location.
Some of the open spaces have a cross between a playground and a gym. The equipment is painted blue and yellow and usually includes a kind of treadmill, a seesaw, swings, and another apparatus for arm exercises. These are used by anyone from the very old to the very young.
On Saturday evening, the final of the Asian Football Cup took place here in Beijing, between China and Japan. I stayed in to watch it with my flatmate and her friends. Most people I spoke to were going to watch the match, so it seems that football is pretty popular. Unfortunately China lost 3-1 so there was no celebratory party. It has to be said that for a nation with 1.4 billion people to choose from, they aren't that good at football. I concluded that that's because of a height disadvantage compared with the European teams.
It's also interesting to see what another culture considers acceptable and unacceptable in public. Here it is not normal to see people smoking or eating on the street. On the other hand, loud spitting is very common everywhere (men only). It's also common to see people having a nap or playing cards on the pavement. At home the guys smoke quite heavily.
People here wear Western-style clothes, but with some differences. The men wear trousers with a t-shirt or shirt, but I haven't seen any jackets and very few ties. Women wear straight skirts or trousers. Everyone is well-turned out - scruffiness is definitely not done. Uniforms are also common for a lot of jobs - usually with a cap. For most office workers there seems to be very little difference between the clothes that they wear in and out of work. Babies' clothes are also very interesting. Nappies are not done. Instead the babies and young children have trousers with a wide hole at the crotch, or else they are only wearing a top. Many of them have shaved heads. While most people are quite smartly dressed, old men are very commonly seen wearing a grubby white vest.
I realised too late that people very rarely put their bags on the floor. This is because it's just too dirty. The Chinese still look clean and smart by the end of the day, but I rarely manage this. A few people carry umbrellas for protection from the sun when they are walking in the street. A few cyclists have a cap with a sun visor that covers their whole face. Mobiles are of course an essential accessory - even I have a Chinese SIM card! (And mobiles work on the tube as well.)
Eating is definitely a popular activity. As well as restaurants where you order food from the menu and it is prepared for you, there are many "restaurants" which are more like canteens - the food is already prepared and you are served directly. Yesterday we ended up in MacDonalds - I was told that people like it because it is fast and clean. Of course the Chinese don't have all the rules about table manners which we have - you just get on and eat however it's easiest.