Final Project: Senior Citizens in China

Ever since orientation, when I spontaneously joined senior women doing their morning exercises in a park, I have wanted to test my hypothesis that senior citizens in China are generally more active than senior citizens back in the United States. This project allowed me to focus on several aspects of a senior citizen’s life: family, socioeconomic status and finally leisure activities.

Family, as I have learned this semester, really is the focal point for the Chinese. In our readings, some children are currently being raised by their grandparents, as mothers and fathers search for higher paying jobs outside of their villages, sometimes thousands of miles away. Every day I see grandparents walking with their grandchildren and I knew it would be easy to get pictures documenting these bonds. Nowhere was this more prominent than when I went to the zoo with my friend—families took over the park! Many were three-generational, and after our “Little Emperor” class, I could finally see how that theory was developed. It must be expensive for a family to go to the zoo—after paying for tickets, there were balloons, bumper cars, ice cream, rides and stuffed animals all available near children-oriented exhibits.

The contrast between Beijing and rural areas was very apparent during our trip to Teng Cheung. At the market in Teng Cheung, elderly people made up the majority of vendors, and were very proud of their crops for sell. The market also serves as the center for getting the latest gossip, according to one woman that we interviewed. While interviewing people in the market, senior citizens were the most eager to participate and were very patient with our broken Chinese.

As for leisure activities, it is common for elderly people to participate in two exercise classes each day- one in the morning and one in the afternoon. For the entire semester, I have been walking past a group of senior citizens doing tai chi in the morning, so I decided to photograph them one day. After I was done, I was invited to come back the next day and participate! I have been getting up early for the past week and joining them—I can see why they are in terrific shape now! Most of them are more flexible than I am at the moment. The yeyes and nainais could not have been more welcoming or willing to share their fans and swords with me so I can learn the techniques.

Compared to the elderly at home, who do not seem to have a reputation for being particularly active, and more often than not, seem to be dismissed from the population, the elderly in China have quite the opposite role in society. I am inspired to be as in good shape as my friends in my tai chi group are when I am their age; this project has also enabled me to make friends and great memories to take home with me.

Here's the link to my photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/katie.hondorf/SeniorCitizensInChina. Let me know if it doesn't want to cooperate!