Making my way through Beijing’s
sights and neighborhoods over the course of my semester abroad, I am often amazed
by the number of parks scattered throughout the city. From pay-to-enter parks that double as major tourist attractions, to the small free parks frequented by the locals, there is a place where both
tourists and residents alike can enjoy a much needed reprieve from the crowded
city streets. Spending time in the parks, I have come to notice that for
Beijing’s senior citizens, the parks are especially valuable as a crucial part
of their daily lives. Regardless of the season, air quality, or weather,
Beijing’s parks always seem to be teeming with amazing vitality and energy, as senior
citizens use them as the backdrop for all sorts of activities that keep them
young, active, and integrated in their communities.
My first experience in a Beijing park came on a dreary day in the dead of winter. Early on a freezing Sunday morning, a few teachers and fellow students in my study abroad program visited a park near Tiananmen Square, at the heart of the capital. As we entered, we heard a large group singing further in the park. We followed the sound until we found its unexpected source: dozens of senior citizens braving the cold and the wind to get together and sing traditional Chinese songs. We stood to the side and watched for a bit. However, a few of them quickly caught sight of the group of bundled-up foreigners sticking out like a sore thumb. To our collective surprise, a few of them began grabbing us by the hand and putting each student between two members of their group before quickly beginning to sing again even more loudly than before. The cold and wind forgotten, we couldn’t help singing along as best we could, the pervasive energy of the group warming us more than our layers of clothing ever could.
This scene became the first of many examples when a simple walk through a park offered a unique glimpse into Beijing’s culture and the way in which senior citizens choose to lead their lives in the city after retirement. Over the course of my semester, I have accepted invitations to jump rope (mostly unsuccessfully) and play badminton (a bit more successfully), received tai chi and traditional dance demonstrations, and observed countless singing performances and games of cards and table tennis. The magical energy of Chinese parks transcends cultural boundaries while also offering a rare window into the everyday lives of retired Beijing residents. The parks help to explain how retirees seem so integrated in their communities, compared with the social isolation common to older retirees in the United States, especially in cities.
Indeed, as my host mother has explained to me as we walked through numerous parks over the course of my semester in Beijing, the park dwellers that I see on occasional walks through parks actually spend nearly every day there. These groups and their activities keep senior citizens outside and active on a consistent basis, guaranteeing that they are never alone or inactive for extended periods of time. Beijing’s government also facilitates the process: while tourists will purchase an entry ticket to every park they visit in Beijing, residents above 50 years of age can purchase an annual entry to all of Beijing’s parks for a mere 50 yuan, or just over seven dollars. This guarantees easy access to any park for any resident, regardless of socioeconomic class.
Living in Beijing over the long term can be emotionally and physically taxing; however, over the course of my semester here, I have found that a mere walk through any of Beijing’s countless parks is enough to change my mood for the better. They have provided an opportunity both to witness Chinese people’s incredibly warm and welcoming spirit and to understand the structural push, at a government and civil society level, toward avoiding senior citizens’ social isolation. Memories in Beijing’s parks are sure to stick with me as I return back to the United States, and I hope to create more as I inevitably return to China in the future.
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