Learning about Chinese culture is a major reason for students to learn the Chinese language. They read books, listen to podcasts, visit famous landmarks or participate in cultural activities. Have you tried making dumplings?
All these are good resources for people to understand Chinese culture. However, they are also sort of prescribed cultural elements, a top down way of teaching and learning. Although it is good to understand Chinese culture this way, it will be even better to locate some cultural aspects on one’s own. Sometimes, it is amazingly easy. All it takes is to take a stroll in the park.
What prompted me to say this and to write this article was such a stroll I took recently in July 2024. It dawned on me how fascinating it could be for Chinese language students.
At that time, I was visiting my family in Hebei. My brother and his wife told me that lotus flowers were in full bloom in a park not far way. It was a sight really worth seeing. I love flowers, and I didn’t want the regret of missing them, so we decided to go. It turned out that those beautiful lotus flowers were only a small part of a wonderful evening.
July in Hebei is hot. To avoid the worst of the heat, we chose a time before sunset to head for the park. As soon as we got there, I realised that this was the place to go for the evening. Numerous groups of two or three people were milling around; men and women, young and old. Food and handy craft stalls were at the outskirts.
Then I saw a kite gently floating in the air. It was made with a string of countless small kites, like a Chinese dragon stretching upwards with its tip seemly touching the sky. Somehow, the temperature no longer felt boiling.
We began to walk on a winding path towards the pond, passing through trees, shrubs and some large open spaces where people were doing all sorts of activities, like rollerskating, singing, and tossing around a big ballon.
There was a group of children practicing kung fu. They all dressed in red, each with a tight belt around the waist. A kung fu master dressed in white was giving instructions. One little girl with a pony tail caught our eyes. Her kicks looked powerful and her turns forceful.
In another place, some older people were doing tai chi. Their movements were calm, slow and balanced. Their coordination was effortless and smooth.
We commented on the little girl’s potential, the elderlies’ probable state of zen, and other things we saw.
Surrounded with occasional fragrances from grass or trees, we arrived at a vast expanse of lotus flowers elegantly spreading across a sea of dark green leaves. It was a magnificent sight.
We were so enchanted by the exquisite show nature had offered us, and wanted to say something nice. But all we could come up with was “beautiful”. We laughed at our inability to come up with better descriptions, and agreed that Zhu Ziqing’s essay on lotus flowers was unmatched.
After hanging around the pond for a while, we began making our way to the other end of the park. Just as I thought I had seen the best, the most amazing performance appeared.
It was first loud music with a lively beat. I looked to the direction of the sound and caught a glimpse of vibrant colours.
The sky was completely dark at the time. Street lamps were radiating a yellowish white light. In a large open square, dozens of people were dancing, with an audience scattered around them watching.
We also found a spot to sit, and immediately we felt their energy.
Most dancers were holding huge colourful fans and wearing long pink or green vests that almost touched the ground. A few in plain clothes tagged behind. The majority of them were elderly women with some elderly men in the middle. Following the music and some intermittent verbal cues, they danced in synchronised steps, waved their fans and changed their configurations from time to time.
I could see clearly that each of them was dripping with sweat but also beaming with delight. One elderly man with a full head of silver hair was especially striking. Wearing a bright pink vest and waving a green fan, he looked able, confident and cheerful.
The whole atmosphere had an infectious effect on me. Judging from the plain clothes dancers, I knew I could be one of them. I could join in the dancing, sharing their dedication, solidarity and strength. I knew that I could not follow all the steps, but I was sure they would have accommodated me. Who wouldn’t have made some mistakes!
The temptation was growing. But at the same time, my sense of propriety held me back. I just sat there, chatting with my sister-in-law occasionally about the dancers’ possible ages, nimble steps and strong arms.
This was not the first time for me to take a stroll in the park in China, but this time it felt like a new experience for me. It started as a quest for beautiful lotus flowers, but ended with a loud bang in my heart. Kites, kung fu, tai chi, children, parents, elderly people, men, women, poetry, essays, nature and families, are all different aspects of a cohesive community.
To experience this community is to have the first hand experience of Chinese culture. Therefore, I highly recommend all Chinese language students to take such a stroll in China and to take in all the magnificent sights that Chinese culture can offer. And I’m sure each park will have its own unique cultural elements that are particularly relevant in the area.
In that evening, we left the park around ten o’clock. Perhaps next time I’ll have the courage to join in the dancing troupe.