'Girl chasing' turns to culture show at Ethnic Games
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China Daily, September 15, 2011
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Players from Xinjiang Equestrian teams perform "girl chasing" during the demonstration events at the Ninth National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities of China in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province, Sept 14, 2011. [Photo/Asianewsphoto] |
What is the risk of hitting on a girl? If you are in a bar, you might be splashed on the face. But if you are riding a horse trying to hit on a Kazak girl, the risk can be whipping on your back.
"Girl chasing" is a demonstration event in the on-going Chinese 9th National Ethnic Sports Games in Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou in Southwest China.
However, do not take the name of the sport for granted that it is just a man trying to pursue a young lady. Instead, the core part of "girl chasing" is a young lady trying to chase and whip a man who just attempts to hit on her.
"Girl chasing" has its origin in the daily activities of Kazak ethnic groups in China's Xinjiang autonomous region. It is often held during festivals and weddings, when a young man will invite a girl he is interested in to ride side by side on their horses.
During the ride, the man will flirt the girl with jokes and sweet words and show off his equitation by trying to hug or even kiss the girl, while the girl is supposed to remain patient and control her temper. Once the man finishes his flirting, he will turn around right away and start running because the girl will chase behind with her whip holding high.
If the girl likes the man's flirting, her whip will never come down or she will only whip him softly. After the "girl chasing", the two young persons may even exchange contacts and start to date each other. But if the girl has no feelings on the man or annoyed by his inappropriate flirting, she will not hesitate to use her whip, leaving the man fleeing helter-skelter.
"When I was 21, I had my first 'girl chasing' experience in my sister's wedding ceremony," said Atersun Abai, 22, one of the actresses in the demonstration on Wednesday. "Unfortunately, I have never met a guy I really interested in throughout my 'girl chasing' experiences, I just whipped them away."
In the old days, arranged marriages were very common among the Kazak group in China. "Girl chasing" is a way for the young Kazaks to fight against the patriarchal marriage and pursuing their true love.
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Players from Xinjiang Equestrian teams perform "girl chasing" during the demonstration events at the Ninth National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities of China in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province, Sept 14, 2011. [Photo/Asianewsphoto] |
But today this entertaining event is not just limited to the young singles and has emerged into a culture show that help to promote local tourism.
According to Atersun Abai, many couples and even senior people are also fund of taking part in "girl chasing".
"Girl chasing performed by couples sometimes can provide more fun for the audience," said the Kazak girl.
The quadrennial Chinese National Ethnic Games gathers the 55 Chinese ethnic groups, which account for about 8.49 percent of the country's population of 1.37 billion besides the largest ethnic group the Hans, and has long been reckoned an important presence in maintaining the 55 ethnic groups' own rich traditions and customs.
A total of 16 title events and 186 demo events are included in this edition in Guizhou, one of the country's most undeveloped provinces, but rich in natural landscapes and ethnic minority cultures.
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