Park life
A day in the life of one of the capital’s few green spaces
FROM the top of a stone pagoda Li Zhaolin is shouting, almost yodelling: “voice exercises”, he calls them, to help him breathe. Several people appear to be wrestling with trees, gripping trunks and pushing against them. One man stands with his arm over a branch and rubs his left armpit against it while patting his head rhythmically with his right hand. A few elderly folk walk backwards, a practice that is believed to help back pain and relieve knee stress. Alone or in groups, many practice tai chi, a Chinese martial art, some with fans or swords.
This article appeared in the Christmas Specials section of the print edition under the headline “Park life”
From the December 19th 2015 edition
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