White Haired Wonders
Who would you expect to bump into on an early morning stroll in a park? A couple of ultra keen joggers perhaps, or another early riser out for some fresh air before their day begins. But at seven o’ clock in the morning, one would expect, most parks would be fairly tranquil.
Not so in China. If you feel like getting out of bed early and heading to Beijing’s famous Temple of Heaven Park, or indeed any of the myriad parks scattered throughout the Middle Kingdom, you cannot help but see the elderly community out in force. It might be some old men taking their birds in cages out for a walk. There will be those who choose to exercise independently, perhaps practising shadow boxing or simply jogging backwards and forwards. Big groups of retired men and women gather together and take part in dances to music playing from speakers, some using fans or veils. Others do their exercise in free-to-use outdoor gyms, brightly coloured structures that are somewhat reminiscent of playgrounds for adults. Looking onto these gymnasia I have more than once been astounded by the incredibly agile and flexible bodies that are attached to wrinkled Chinese faces, as men and women bend, stretch and even flip!
In fact at most times of the day it is pretty difficult not to notice elderly people in Chinese society. Groups of grey haired smiling men gather in circles by the side of the road to play a game of cards. Proud grandmothers take their little grandchildren out for a walk.
This is one aspect that apparently differs markedly from life in the West. While in both Eastern and Western cultures, the retired community is an important part of society, they are a much more visible part of life in China. Moreover it is common for Chinese families to share their home with a grandparent or other senior family member. Unlike the Western idea of children becoming independent and creating a family for themselves, by themselves, China seems to embrace the Confucian concept of filial piety. The ancient sage advocated a son having utmost respect for his parents and looking after them into their old age. Today his words have not been forgotten by the Chinese, who are proud of their culture which respects the wisdom of senior citizens. Besides, the live-in grandparent is often not so very elderly (China’s retirement age is 55 for women and 60 for men), and they are in fact a vital part of family life, helping with cooking and childcare.
Still, when a country is developing as quickly as China, lots of changes inevitably occur, and one wonders whether the position of old people will come to change too. There is already evidence of lots of young people leaving rural communities to find work in the cities, so what will become of the parents who are left behind as they reach old age? Furthermore, Chinese families are nowadays much smaller than they used to be, and many families face a future with only one child to shoulder the responsibility of caring for their elderly parents. In the rush to embrace a more Western lifestyle I hope that the Chinese ideals of respect for elders are not left behind.
