The baduanjin gym, popular with young people in Chengdu, symbolizes the concepts of Chinese fitness, culture and aesthetics.
Baduanjin gym after getting out of bed, massage before bed, music therapy, calligraphy, meditation… these traditional practices for self-talk are of interest to more and more young Chinese. Skin, mood, sleep, weight and eyesight are of particular concern to them, according to the 2023 Chinese Health Prospective Analysis Report from medical information site Dxy.cn.
A gym enjoying renewed popularity
In parks or on neighborhood squares in Chengdu, it is not uncommon to come across people practicing the baduanjin gym, literally “Eight pieces of brocade” in reference to its eight movements. Many young people opt for paid courses in order to practice rigorously.
Wang Mingshan, young heir to taijiquan, teaches baduanjin. He gives his lessons to around ten young people under the shade and to the sound of birdsong, noting a growing interest in these exercises among the new generations of Chengdu. “A few years ago, 30% of my students were young people, last year, 50%. The share rose to 80% this year. They are 28 years old on average. » Free courses are fully booked as soon as they open, while paid courses also see an influx of registrations.
Baduanjin are graceful and characteristic of oriental charm. Their popularity in Chengdu even attracts tourists eager to experience the group sessions with around a hundred participants. Chen Shumei, a Malaysian in her late thirties, was introduced to baduanjin with her mother about two years ago. They find this elegant and gentle traditional Chinese gym very beneficial for physical and mental well-being. After starting with videos on the Internet, they encountered difficulties in correcting their actions, hence their coming to Chengdu last May, both for tourism and learning.
Chen Shumei and her mother went to the research center square of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, having learned that open classes were held there by professionals every morning. While his mother followed the teacher’s movements, Chen Shumei filmed all the key gestures and explanations to use during their subsequent training. During the breaks, she also met several amateurs from Yunnan.
Today, baduanjin is considered a form of light fitness infused with Eastern philosophy and aesthetics. Traditionally, this art imposed more demands and constraints. But times are changing. As Wang Mingshan rightly said, “Whoever wants to practice it does not need to worry about place, time and circumstances, since it is a way of life.”
A traditional Chinese medicine dispensary offers healthy and diet drinks. (PHOTOS: HAN JIE)
A diet plan
“You have to eat well, even alone. » This motto of young people speaks volumes about the evolution of their vision of food. Today, it is essential to eat well to live well. Shasha, a twenty-year-old from Chengdu who works in tourism, is passionate about dietetics.
“Seasonal vegetables with lots of colors give a great feeling of happiness. It’s both beautiful and healthy. » After the meal, she usually makes a cup of tea with two low-sugar cakes. There are many young people like Shasha in Chengdu, and groups and communities of traditional dietetics and gourmets abound on the Internet.
Fuchsia Dunlop, a British specialist in comparative cuisine, has studied and lived in Chengdu for several years. She observes that the therapeutic function of the restaurant is weakening in Europe and the United States, but gaining strength in China. “If you want, you can find restaurants that offer medicinal cuisines, or follow your diet anywhere. »
For her, Chinese cuisine seeks harmony, while Western cuisine favors logic. Chinese gastronomy fuses diversity, exquisite skills and joie de vivre with the principles of self-discipline, health and balance. Fuchsia Dunlop recently organized a book signing for her book Invitation to a Banquet in Chengdu, sparking great enthusiasm among young people. Its intercultural perspective undoubtedly allows us to take a step back from traditional food.
A daily quest for well-being
Li Juan, who works in construction, often works overtime. However, she always takes care to reward herself, for example with a cup of herbal tea. On her desk, she keeps chrysanthemums, honeysuckle, roses and tangerine peels. Under his influence, the young people in the office also enlist in the army of well-being enthusiasts.
In Chengdu, young people’s pursuit of wellness has given rise to a large number of herbal coffee shops, health herbal tea parlors, health bakeries and wellness fairs. Statistics show that in recent years, the size of Chengdu’s health snacks and drinks market has increased year by year, and traditional dietary supplements are enjoying renewed vitality. Donkey gelatin milk tea and medicinal plum syrup stood out from the crowd and became new star drinks. Herbal coffee combined with dendrobium, ginseng, cinnamon, monk fruit, lotus leaf and hawthorn is also popular. Freshly ground cereal soy milk is particularly popular.
The essence of well-being lies not only in maintaining the body, but also in preventing disease. Young designer Xu Ting really likes massages. When she feels her body exhausted, she goes to a massage parlor or the hospital rehabilitation department to let the physiotherapist relieve her sore shoulders, neck and lower back muscles. “Over the last two years, I have become fascinated with Chinese massage. You smell the medicinal scent as soon as you enter, and the environment is zen and relaxing. »
If Chinese massage provides both physical and mental relaxation, traditional music therapy is a spiritual massage to prevent anxiety. In recent years, many young people have started to heal themselves through traditional music. The music played by traditional instruments such as the guqin, the xiao, the taoxun and the bamboo flute accompanies young people in their moments of meditation, reading, sport, and sleep.
Whether it is food, sports or leisure, young people do not skimp on health expenses. According to the 2022 Survey Report on the Health Vision of Young Urban Dwellers in China, the consumption of health goods and services as well as this desire to consume increases with age. At least one experience of this consumption is noted among 78.5% of 18 to 19 year olds and 95.7% of 30 to 39 year olds, this last age group also being the spearhead of medium and high consumption. range. In 2016, there were only a few hundred massage parlors in Chengdu, but now there are more than 10,000, and the proportion of young consumers aged 20 to 35 can reach more than 70%. With an increasing young clientele, services are being upgraded: massage accompanied by karaoke, 4K films and gastronomic tasting has become commonplace.
In Chengdu, sophisticated, convenient and efficient healthcare is constantly innovated. Following traditional culture and awakening cultural genes, the transformation of young people’s health outlook and lifestyle becomes a new landscape of modern cities.
*LI YAQI is a journalist at Chengdu Culture.
