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BEIJING – I always hated mass exercises. I had to do them every school day for 15 years.
It seemed worse when I was in middle school, between the ages of 13 to 18. Every school day after our “morning study session” the loudspeaker blared the ear-piercing “Athletes March.”
That was the signal for all the students to run out to the soccer field, in all kinds of weather. Wearing the same uniforms, we gathered in long lines and did the exact same dance moves together for five minutes before returning to our classes.
Bo Gu/ NBC News
People gathered in Beijing’s Celestial Palace Aug. 10 for the re-launch of mandatory group exercises for state workers.
The mass exercises, coordinated by radio broadcasts, were first introduced under Mao in 1951. They continued for decades, but were suspended in 2007 so that Beijing Sports Radio could spend more time covering preparations for the 2008 Olympics.
But as China continues to develop and modernize, there are now growing concerns that the population is becoming sedentary and unhealthy.
So the mass exercises are making a comeback.
Collective exercise is ‘more lively’
If a plan put forward by the Beijing Federation of Trade Unions is adopted, it will be compulsory for all state-owned enterprises to do on-the-job calisthenics twice a day in Beijing by 2011. In addition, 70 percent of civil servants and at least 60 percent of all employees in Beijing will be expected to practice the daily exercises, according to China Daily.
Yu Junsheng, vice-chairman of the Beijing Federation of Trade Unions, explained the goal of the mass exercise movement to China Daily.
"Any exercise done by an individual can be tedious and boring. To do exercise with other people makes the atmosphere more lively and employees can take the opportunity to talk to each other,” said Yu."Through collective activity, people feel more relaxed and have greater efficiency at work. That's why we want to resume the fitness activity."
So now every day at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Radio Exercise Set No. 8 will be broadcast on “Beijing Sports Radio.”
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‘Great leader Chairman Mao taught us’
The resurgence of the exercises brings me back to my youth. As a teenager I hated two things: following orders and being exactly the same as others. The mass exercises are a perfect combination of the two. I was overjoyed at the last year of my college time when we finally were not forced to do it anymore.
The twice-a-day outdoor mass calisthenics weren't the whole story. We had to do eye-exercises once a day too. The eye exercise could be done while students were sitting on their seats. We were told to rub facial acupuncture points around our eyes for a few minutes.
The eye exercises always started with loud music from the loudspeakers that began with a very enthusiastic female voice: “Great leader Chairman Mao taught us, let’s protect our eyesight for the sake of revolution by doing eye exercises…”
While rubbing cheeks might not be scientifically proven to help eye vision, outdoor activities twice a day may not a bad idea for you. The problem is nobody took it seriously.
My girlfriends and I ran to the soccer field every day, jumping and waving when teachers passed by. Once they were gone, we stopped to chat and check out cute boys from other classes. None of us ever showed any interest in doing exercises together. Now I doubt people would be any more passionate ten years later.
Early this week we went to film the launch ceremony at the Celestial Temple in Beijing for the return of the group exercises.
The event showcased about 3,000 people, including government officials and celebrities. Everyone was so blissful and told us it would be a great thing for citizens to improve their health.
As I heard the officials saying they hoped to mobilize 4 million workers to do the exercises together, I couldn’t help thinking: China is probably the only country in the world that could get so many people to march and dance at the same time.
Oh wait, there’s another place that would well beat China – North Korea. Its Arirang Festival features thousands of young students doing synchronized gymnastic movements in Pyongyang’s May Day Stadium daily from August 1 until early October.
Not sure China can beat that.
Leave a Comment:
As long as NBC continues to use Chinese or Chinese-American journalists to cover China, these powderpuff pieces will continue, including the ones that inevitably tack a "happy ending" onto very serious issues/stories. Cultural bias, the desire to create a positive impression of the "new China," and of course, government pressures on anyone of Chinese origin to toe the line, ensure that we get part-propaganda rather than cold hard news.
Dr. Warren- I'm confused about your position and how it relates to this article. In fact, I feel the author of the article is very much against mass exercise and is convincing because, through her cultural background, she's actually experienced it. Additionally, she doesn't tack on a happy ending, in fact, her comparison of China to North Korea is terrifying.
I do agree that this is a bit of a fluff piece, but I don't think it's filled with pro-China propaganda. Quite the opposite. Would you explain how your comment relates to the article?
Your comment assumes that ANYONE of Chinese descent cannot present the news about China in an UNbiased fashion. That's a little 'biased' of YOU, don't you think??? So to be perfectly UNbiased and ensure we only get the "cold hard news" from America...should we use only journalists from outside our borders???
Seems it would be nice to get out of the office 2 extra times a day (10:00 & 3:00). Only people who get those times outside are the smokers, maybe they should be forced into calistenics. It might encourage them to cut back or quit. (I'm a former smoker calm down). lol
I agree that US news coverage of China is often superficial with the result Americans are generally ignorant of what is happening here. Also, when serious issues are reported it is oftem quite biased from an American perspective and does not report the diversity of Chinese opinion.
However, I'm not sure this "fluff piece"is as silly as it may appear.
Whenever I visit the US I'm apalled at how overweight and unhealthy Americans have become (even many American Chinese), paricularly in the past 10 years. This seriously lower the quality of life for such people and creates social and health problems that cost.
But also, there is a trend is big Chinese cities for people to follow this lead and child obesity in cities like Beijing and Shanghai is rising at an alarming rate andraising concerns, so it's good to see the government doing something about it. This should be applauded and emulated by others, not trivialized.
Would you also call Michelle Obama's initiative to get Americans to eat more health "fluff"? I thought it was great because it addresses a fundamental heath issue in the US in a positive and constructive way verses the non-productive and polarized political infighting about health care.
Want to lower health care costs? Attack obesity, one of the fundamental problems. I think US health care experts would agree with me on this.
I my company we have two such programs. When a new recruit joins, they have 3 months training that includes daily sports/excercise and also marching drills. Why? bcause it build self-disapline, self confidence and teamwork, and give new workers an opportunity to make friends, an importiant thing given that many are from other cities of provinces and may feel like outsiders when they first join.
You said:
"As long as NBC continues to use Chinese or Chinese-American journalists to cover China, these powderpuff pieces will continue, including the ones that inevitably tack a "happy ending" onto very serious issues/stories. Cultural bias, the desire to create a positive impression of the "new China" , and of course, government pressures on anyone of Chinese origin to toe the line, ensure that we get part-propaganda rather than cold hard news."
You display quite a bit of cultural bias of your own and seem to want reporters to toe the line to your own opinion. What kind of part propaganda would that produce? In fact, China is rapidly changing and modernizing, and Chinese now enjoy quite a bit of freedom, but I doubt you would recognize that give your obvious bias. Well, you are welcome to view the world though whatever filters you chose, but the darker the lenses, the less information you recieve.
Are you fluant in Chinese? Do you visit Chinese internet sies and blog with Chinese people to see what they think? Many Chinese such as I do the reverse regularly so we get the benifit of a broader information base and world view, and it would be good for Americans to do the same.
If you are not Chinese fluant you can join a multi-lingual blog such as QQ International where you can meet English fluant Chinese - and I would add that more Chinese students study English now than Americans do, and far more than Americans learning Chinese. Perhaps this accounts for the greater information gap between us than the choice of "fluff" by MSNBC.
And if more Americans were Chinese fluant, perhaps MSNBC would not be as dependant on ethnic Chinese to do thier reporting which you seem to find objectionable. After all, if you can't communicate with people, how can you possibly report the news in-depth and objectively? The few Chinese fluant Western reports in China seem to do a pretty good job and that suggest a little education and first hand knowledge goes a long way.
Your thoughts?
Beats being shot and your family sent the bill for the bullett. Your better off doing what your told and keeping your mouth shut in China.
lol greg.
actually we have a lot more rules and restrictions here in the US, it's a myth we're free, just that china gets sensationalized... incarceration is always by force... just look at who has the highest incarceration rates: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_pri_per_cap-crime-prisoners-per-capita
Ignorant and foolish remark. I 'm quite confident more Americans die of gunshot wounds than Chines and that more non-Americans die of American gunshot wounds as well.
What is the deal with this American obsession with weapons?
Perhaps you should get out more and excercise to get the spider webs out of your brain.
What the ----? We don't CARE about Chinese people exercising!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm changing my web page!
I don't know how they do exercises outside in Beijing. The air is filthy.
How did you know the air is filthy in Beijing!
Changing your web page? What does that mean exactly? Just get connected to the internets did ya? Realize there are millions of "web pages" to choose from?
Of course we don't care about Chinese exercise, we're fat Americans who resent being told, or even suggested, what to do...
Whine whine!
Your not to bright are you? I know exactly what he means. Wait, don't tell me, your 15 and using the one and only computer in the living room of your single mothers trailer.
Actually DL, its "you're"...not "your"....and "too" not "to".....and finally....an apostrophe between "mother" and the "s."......... the irony of you accusing someone else not being 'bright' is hilarious!
I agree 100% with you Jack. DL, you've got to be kidding me being up on your pedestal that has broken legs!! Or should I say you've got "too" be kidding me.
Actually Americans rebel against the 'State' dictating the 'details' of everyday life. Make common sense laws and enforce them. But don't tell me who to associate with, or what 'political' party I must join, or what 'religious' faith I should be in. Do that, and I will rebel against you everytime. Thats what being an American is.
My biggest fear for America, is that we forget our "roots." What is it that makes us "different" than the rest of the world? Could we, actually "lose" our identity.? We do not do things "en masse;" prime example, when we clap, we do not clap in unison, "state" peoples, do clap in unison. I cannot image, going to a banquet, where everyone clapped in unison; that would be the greatest insult to anyone! But Why? We are individuals, we do not "think in a box." We think, outside the box, that is who we are, independent. Any system that "tries" to make us, dependent, is our antithesis.
That "box" you don't like to be put in grows larger each day, perhaps you should excercise more.
"United" States? United suggests a people who stand, work and perhaps excercise together. It distresses me to see how fragmented and polarized America has become, perhaps a little group exercise and sports would help.
When a solder joins an army, the first thing done is to get them in shape and build a team so they can be strong and work together. Nota bad idea, and not one that stops them from being individuals, but makes them stonger individuals.
Strong body/strong mind. What's bad about that.
If anybody should do less complaining and more exercising, its America!
Speak for yourself. I'm 52 years old, 5.8", and weigh 189.
Well good for you, you are the exception. I see nothing but fat f***s wherever I go. Lived in Beijing for one year, Chinese people are HEALTHY! When you go into a store over there, there are no twinkies, candy bars, or sodas right in your face, you have to look for it. Not as many fast food places either, but they are catching up.
DL-328785 wrote:
"Speak for yourself. I'm 52 years old, 5.8", and weigh 189."
Unfortunately, in China, that is still morbidly obese. if you exercised properly, as a Chinaman faithfully does, you would weigh a more proper weight of 112 pounds.
I'm 58 years old, 5.8", and weigh 185 and I can't find pants my size in Wal-Mart in China .... I'm a 38 .... most sizes at Wal-mart are 28-32 and max out at 36 for "fat chinese"..
the only exercise i get is when i walk two blocks to get to mcdonald's.
We are so fat we think a 5'8'' guy at 190 lbs. is normal! LMAO
Forcing people to exercise would be completely unAmerican. Most Americans choose a sedentary life style. Even if American workplaces provided a place and the time to exercise most Americans would opt out. Most elementary and high schools no longer have exercise programs that really provide any meaningful exercise.
A work place exercise program for Americans would be a great idea, but it would not likely be adopted by most Americans even though the benefits of exercise are well known.
As a business owner I would be happy to provide such an opportunity to my employees. (have in the past and found no takers).
I personally exercise every day.
Why do you make 'generalized' statements like 'Most Americans choose a sedentary life style'. Because not everyone is interested in running a marathon everyday and looking like a professinal athelete? Big deal. Truth is, not everyone sits in a air conditioned office on their ass all day, so they don't need to excercise everyday.
It's not a generalization buddy....if you paid attention to the news instead of criticizing what everyone else has to say, you'd know that it's a FACT that Americans are OVERWEIGHT.
YOUR health coverage and mine is more expensive then it has to be in part because too many people are being diagnosed with conditions and being treated for weight related health problems.
If Americans were in shape, it would CONTRIBUTE to cheaper health costs!
Don't be so defensive!
Facts are facts -
Most Americans do choose a sedentary life style. That's a fact. I didn't pull that out thin air. There's a big difference between sedentary and moderate exercise. That's also a fact. You don't have to run a marathon to get healthier. There is a great benefit to be gained from even 20 minutes of daily exercise. Most Americans don't sit on their asses in air conditioned offices, but increasingly more Americans are obese and sedentary - NOT my opinion - This is a well known fact. My statements while generalized are also factual.
The Chinese Government encouraged mass exercise in the past.This is nothing new...forced marches during the Mao regime (approx 5,960 miles). Let's not forget when red terrorism via the PLA was used to suppress the people, turn neighbors against each other, torture monks, etc. Or when a swarm of red soldiers hiked up into Tibet with AKs in the 1950s...
But who am I to criticise our greatest trade partner and loan shark...Uh...I mean lender.
And we have the dark cloud of slavery, segregation, internment camps, and the slaughter of Native Americans.
Point is, every country has a dark history at some point......it's whether you learn from it and change your policies going forward.
You are right...and I take no pride in the history of slavery and other social and economic injustices in our history...having said that though...China's domestic issues are older and in many cases still occurring. Unspeakable atrocities are still being committed by the Chinese. When it comes down to it, I am proud to be a US citizen, and I am sick of China being portrayed as some sort of idealized place where all the world's dreams can come true. I care about American jobs. Yes, our house isn't spotless, but comparing U.S. human rights to China's isn't a realistic comparison.
@ hellhawk
true but how long it took US to get to where we at right now? hundreds of years. even before/after WWII we have segration etc. China is changing, 30yrs ago, they are much like NK right now, but look at their economy, living condition, even their personal freedom change for the better compare to 30yrs ago. whos know what happen 30yrs from now, they might change into a semi-democracy or something else for the better.
Hellhawk,
I don't disagree that there's still plenty of human rights issues in China, but I think their progression in the past 30 years has been pretty remarkable. They are on their way and I don't really care to dwell on it too much.
As an American, I think collectively we need to focus on our own problems-- and we have plenty of them. I agree with you, I care about American jobs; however the media is quick to persuade the American public that China is to blame, when it's really not.
The culprit are our greedy American Corporations. They're the ones cutting manufacturing jobs here in the USA the past couple of decades to exploit cheap labor overseas and in Mexico. This results in cheaper products (and crappier products due to poor regulation), but huge corporate profits.
It's no coincidence that the middle class here has practically disappeared. Once we hold the right parties accountable, then we can start supporting the policies to fix our predicament.
Hellhawk,your original statement refers to things 60 years ago as yesterday but I bet you conveniently think killing millions of peasant Vietnamese is ancient history.... oh and in case you think we changed, i kinda remember we recently made millions of Iraqi's suffer under false pretenses of WMDs and pretending to care. You're right it ain't right to compare... we're worse.
DL-328785--your Body Mass Index is 28.7, which makes you overweight.
I wonder when the 'progressives" will start pushing for this here under the guise of cutting down the cost of healh care? They are already trying to tell us what we can and can not eat and how much we should weigh. Not to mention the fact that they want our doctors to make our medical records available to the government all under the guise of managing Obamacare!
I was born in Soviet Union and I remember that we always had to exercise for 30 minutes every morning before we were getting to the classrooms. Not all schools were doing it, but our was. Kids didn't like it because we had to come earlier to school, but we felt good and healthy and all ready to "swallow the knowledge" (as my teacher use to say:-).
Sounds like an Apple convention. All hail chairman Jobs.
I am so jealous! I wish we could be made to do mass exercises here in the FAT USA. We would be healthier, more productive and happier if we could take a breath of fresh air twice a day, not to mention less obese. I am sick and tired (literally) of being part of this couch potato culture.
I don't see how mandatory exercise will make anybody fitter. We'll just compensate by being lazier off the exercise field.
Be easier to give corporations a tax discount for giving their administrative employees gym memberships, or reimbursement for playing in competitive team sports. Walmart doesn't care if the cashier lady is getting fatter and fatter, as long as she can still ring people up, and when they're no longer competent, you fail an employee evaluation and out you go. Much cheaper than taking a real interest in the health of your workforce.
I spent much of my high school years in China (I am 28 now), and can say I really enjoyed the exercises (both the outdoor ones and the eye exercises). I am not sure that they were necessarily all that helpful--you don't work up a sweat by any means--but if nothing else, it breaks up the day and allows you to move or relax. No, I don't think it could be fostered here in the US, but of all the Chinese rules and regulations, this is one that can be considered a success.
wish more people exercised in the US
I hope none of the idiots in congress see this. At least one of those twisted morons would think it's a wonderful idea and write a bill to try and have it made into law here. All for our own good of course.
Refuzake: Interesting article !