Translated by Deepl and edited by me
During the hike in South Korea we noticed that we were by far the youngest hikers and that our gear was far below standard. Everyone has a functional shirt, a sweatband, knee pads, a wind jacket, gloves, walking sticks, hiking pants, special sports socks and hiking boots, and each piece has a different neon color.
Many of the hikers were older Koreans and were astoundingly fit. Many of them were probably over 70 years old, they were all warming up before the hike and stretching their legs much more skillfully than we could. No matter how fast you hike, the Koreans are faster. A geriatric flash of neon.
We wondered why the older people here are so fit and found the answer in the parks in Korea as well as in China. It should be mentioned that the people in China don’t like hiking, but still the older people are keeping themselves super fit. The parks are a center for both socialising and fitness.
Park Gainz
In Korea and China, almost every park has fitness equipment that you can use freely. Whether you visit the park in the morning, afternoon or evening, these parks are always full of old people. Everyone makes a lap at their own pace in the park where the arms, legs, abdominal muscles, back and shoulders are strengthened, then endurance is trained on one of the steppers or with a fast run around the park. At the end an intensive stretching follows and the training is completed.
Of course we had a go ourselves…
They find it especially entertaining when we young foreigners train and often they show us how much better they can do the exercises.
Park Sport
In China, the older generation is even more creative and not only trains on fitness equipment, but also works on all kinds of sports together. To observe this, it is best to get up very early, because even the older Chinese can no longer sleep in and therefore go very early to the park to do sports.
During our morning runs we observed the following sports groups in the park:
- San Mao: Like Hacky Sack. The goal is that the ball does not touch the ground for as long as possible.
- Ping Pong
- Tai Chi
- Line Dancing
- Couples Dancing
- Other martial arts
Park Games
After the sporting activities follows more quiet socializing in the park. Be it Xiangqi (a kind of chess), Mahjong or card games, all day long you can see many older people keeping their minds fit. Around every board there are many spectators, who watch all the moves of the game.
Park Theater
If you have exerted yourself physically enough in sport and physically enough in chess, you can enjoy a performance and relax. Usually these performances are also from older people for older people.
Park Dating (or arranged marriage)
In the parks there is often also an area for posting “dating” ads, where parents try to find a husband or wife for their children. In the advertisements size, posture, education, job, income and some character traits are indicated. We have read that this is usually done without the permission of the children and therefore the success rate is very low because the children no longer get involved.
We’ve translated some of the ads with Google Translate
Search for the edge
81-year-old, unmarried girl, Ph.D., 1.60 m, with one room, doctor, uncomplicated personality, wise, retired teacher, retired father state enterprise. I hope to find a man of 80-76 years. I would like to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree. I am 1.70 meters tall. I have a stable job, a good character and responsibility for the family.
Contact: Mr Huang Tel: 13871110872
Unmarried woman
born 1988, net height 163 cm, bachelor’s degree, good character, Wenjing branch design work, annual salary of 150,000, double break, Chengdu, room (two sets), no burden, father, working mother, state enterprise, retirement, double insurance. Looking for a man in the unmarried age of 83 years – 89 years Abitur, size 173 cm and over, good character, responsibility, no bad habits, good non-town
Contact number, WeChat: 1302817885
Marriage
Male, born in November of the 3rd year of life, the Master is 168 meters tall and the only child. Working in a research institute in Chengdu, senior engineer, has a car and a house, the workplace and home address of the house in the South Second Ring Road, loose, platform, not for no matter what, good, ask the light of this undead parent and state-owned enterprise retirement, family and harmony. Born 6 years later, the body is healthy, no genetic history, not a single head, 150 left. Person and above. At work the character is good and the figure is slim.
