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Chengdu's Renmin Park – About dancing and dirty ears

By Iona Orbinski: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, August 25, 2011

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Dancing women at Renmin Park [Iona Orbinski/Radio86]

In Chengdu's Renmin Park, it's always busy. People gather to play a few games of Mahjong, dance with their friends or simply have their ears cleaned while enjoying a cup of tea. Renmin Park, or People's Park as it is also known by, truly does its name justice, it is a park for the people.

Located in the south west of the city centre, Renmin Park is a great place to relax, to socialize, and to taste that typical Chinese atmosphere.

The elderly dance

Ear cleaning at Renmin Park [Iona Orbinski/Radio86]

Renmin Park's doors open at the crack of dawn. If you're an early bird as well, you will be treated to the sight of people ritually preforming their martial arts routines. However, if you're more of a late sleeper, you'll find the afternoon entertainment is presented to you by the elderly.

Mostly they're retired women, but men sometimes join in as well. One brings a portable music player and with a group of about 20 to 30 people, they all just start this relaxed but choreographed dance and let their bodies flow to the music. It's an exercise to stay young.

A woman with the family name Tan, tells she comes to the park every day, just to dance for a few hours. "We are just having fun together. The music player is everyone's, not mine. We just bought it together for exercising."

Though most of the women are retired factory workers, teachers or office employees, they don't look old at all. It's the dancing – or exercising as they prefer calling it, that not only keeps them young, but keeps them healthy as well.

Mrs. Tan admits she also dances to release the burden on her children."When we are healthy, our kids can pay more attention to their work."

Dare to have your fortune told?

But a day at the park is not all about dancing and exercise. The tea house located in the middle of Renmin Park is particularly popular with the locals. For a tourist, the tea house surrounded by huge trees provides a welcomed break from the intense heat.

However, the bamboo chairs aren't particularly comfortable and the relaxing atmosphere is rudely interrupted by fortune tellers who beg you to let them read your hand. They won't take no for an answer and keep lowering their price up until the point that it is so annoying, you just want to gift them the requested 100 or 80 Yuan, just to make them go away!

Fancy an ear cleaning?

Less annoying are the men walking around with thin metal sticks and a bag of cotton balls. Once they approach you, you're presented with the odd question if you'd perhaps would like to have your ears cleaned. Wait, what? My ears?

Their surgical-looking instruments are frighteningly thin and long, and if you're not particularly looking forward to explaining to your insurance company how you managed to get your ear drums pierced in China, you might want to kindly decline the offer.

Daredevils among you, give it a go! People who have tried it claim their hearing has actually improved after the gentle cleaning.

So, for people who want to experience Chengdu's lifestyle, dare to have their ears cleaned and enjoy the different kinds of tea, Renmin Park is just the place to observe the Chinese at their most relaxed and friendliest. Except for that pushy fortune teller, that is.

Tips:

Renmin Park is located in the Qingyang District at No.12 Shaocheng Road (成都市青羊区少城路12号). It's open from 6:30AM til 2AM. The entrance fee is only 2 RMB

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