The China Journal - Day 12

In Chinese cities, green space is at a premium. As a result, you'd think that any such parks that do exist would be treated with a certain degree of sanctity, a kind of refuge from the hot, crowded, and steaming cauldron of the city. There's something about silence, however, that I think profoundly disturbs most Chinese. I think that this can largely be attributed to the overwhelming density of people and the inability to take a shit without having someone poking around in your business.

One thing Laura pointed out about Asian cities is the fact that regardless of the time of day, the streets are teeming with people, and rarely, if ever is there a respite from the sounds of cards and buses, music blaring from shops, woks sizzling and people shouting at one another from across the street.

The aptly named Peoples' Park in Chengdu, therefore, offered little respite from the world outside its perimeter, with the exception that instead of dodging scooters, bikes, taxis and people, we were just dodging people.

Every corner of the park was converted in one way or another to facilitate the mass congregation of as many people as possible. In one corner, a band performed a range of Chinese showstoppers, and in another corner, another band performed a range of Chinese showstoppers. And in another corner still, a band performed a range Chinese showstoppers. In other parts of the park, groups of Chinese practiced Tai Chi in unison, while in others, couples practiced their waltz and tango skills while a range of Chinese showstoppers blasted through large speakers.

The visit wasn't a complete loss, however - it did afford me the opportunity to pose in front of the Peoples' Hero, who stood saluting the high-end designer shops across the road.