Building Bridges
The bonds among the people of Wuhan are strong and related to their recreational activities.
Jeslyn Koh visits different spots for recreational activities to discover how these bonds were forged.
“They are my people; people I can trust with my life,” said Mr Chen (unwilling to provide his name), when talking about the group of people he regularly swims with.
Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province of China is one of the most densely populated city in central China, with a population of over 11 million. With many recreational spots and beautiful nature scenic areas, the bonds among locals are
strong.
The commonly seen recreationally bonding activities includes taiji, square dancing, Ding, mahjong, poker, swimming, etcetera. Locals readily join these activities of their own free will.
| Swimming
Six men have been swimming across the river and back every day for a couple of decades now.
For every day of the past 60 years, Mr Chen has been swimming down at the Yangtze river between the Wuchang and Hankou districts of Wuhan. Whether it is hot or cold, it is rare to not see him and his friends swimming from one end of the river to the other. One can easily spot them by the bright orange float they have tied to their waist.
“I have known them for ages, it is our thing to swim (here) every day,” a broad smile appeared on Mr Chen’s face as soon as he completed the sentence. Mr Chen also mentions that swimming is a good form of exercise for them. A round trip usually takes them 50 minutes but it is fulfilling and worthwhile of their time. After all, not only do they get fit, but also lasting friendships.
“It doesn’t hurt for them to learn to swim,” Mr Dan, a father in his 50s said as he gestured at his son to stop diving into the water. He occasionally brings his children to the river to train their stamina and to just have fun with them. Mentioning how the waters are “especially cooling” between June and September, he says it is also “an escape from the blazing sun.”
Seeing that his own father has been bringing him to the river since he was five, Mr Dan did not intend to let his children miss out on such a valuable experience. He believes this can help bring their relationship closer and also provide a channel for them to see the world or to destress.
| Mahjong
Since the establishment of the mahjong function, these group of elderly people have been playing every day.
“It is full every day, they never miss a mahjong session,” commented a security guard. Indeed, all the five mahjong tables set up in a convenience store located among blocks of apartments in the Wuchang district were filled up.
Here, people get to rent a mahjong table for 60 yuan an hour. Since this function started last year, residents have been flocking down daily to play and discuss any topics that pops to mind. It will be especially crowded after lunch, with laughter and the sounds of mahjong pieces knocking into each other filling the air.
Using more technologically advanced mahjong tables which shuffles and arranges all mahjong pieces by itself means more playing and interaction time. This better fosters the daily bonding sessions among the players. It is also more considerate for the elderly people as “the pieces are bigger, which makes it easier to hold on to,” Ms Li, a regular mahjong player, shared.
| Ding
Ding, a cultural dance, requires utmost synchronization and helps improve blood circulation.
Twice a week, a large group can be seen at the Wuhan’s Institute of Technology, located at the Wuchang district, dancing while hitting themselves with a stick decorated with tassels. This is known as Ding.
Similar to square dancing, Ding is a cultural activity usually done in big groups and involves dancing. One of the participants shares about how she “likes to come here as it allows me to relax and exercise,” and how it allows her to “make new friends.”
“Hitting the end of the stick onto our bodies not only creates sound, but it also helps to relax the muscles and improves blood circulation,” shared Ms Zhou, the instructor of the group. Having 60 regular participants also means there are plenty of interactions going around each session.
Dancing in sync is already a difficult feat. The Ding dancers have it worse as they not only have to dance in sync, the timing of hitting the stick onto themselves have to be of the exact same time to sound perfect. This shows that the bonds amongst the participants are rather strong as they dance in perfect synchronization, looking so happy to be part of the family.
Having such recreational activities all over the city really helps boost the interactions locals have with one another. From bonding over their common interests to being close friends, the people of Wuhan are hence united and are of a close and tight-knitted society.
Photos courtesy of Reagan Tan Jing Hng, last updated: 4th September 2022