42 CultureShock! China
hills, swinging from trees (believed in traditional Chinese
medicine to help strengthen the lungs as well as the arms),
strolling, or just gossiping.
Life after work is still very much a central part of Chinese
society, and most Chinese look forward to a physically and
socially active retirement full of community involvement.
In addition to the public parks, there are also community
centres and chess clubs, neighbourhood associations and
volunteering, part-time job opportunities and of course
grandchildren to look forward to, family planning policies
or not.
In China’s poorest areas, of course, there is no retirement,
just a struggle for subsistence that lasts till people drop. But
increasingly, in most of China and especially in the booming
coastal regions, growing national wealth has allowed the
beginnings of social safety nets. Maintaining community
services and public spaces for retirees tends to be a relatively
high priority among these, and the benefits of that are clear
to see.A group of women practicing tai chi, a popular form of morning exercise, in
the park.