THE BADMINTON CROWD
2014-04-20
On Saturday and Sunday mornings I climb up about 400 steps to a lovely stone terrace on a mountainside overlooking the sea and play badminton with the mainly retired people who go there most mornings to drink tea, have a hit and enjoy the early hours. If ever anyone wanted to see how idyllic Chinese society can be, this is the place. Because the path is crooked as it climbs, I pass various expressions of local culture set in a park of blossoming bauhinias, old established trees of many kinds, plus hedges, stone steps, granite outcrops and winding pathways. Few tourists are up and about at 6.30am so it's all locals and on the weekends, kids and working people join in. I pass by a Buddhist temple with deep chanting entwining its prayer with the incense and paper money smoke into the sky, then by a group playing flute music to do taiji quan, another with their swords swishing, the modernists are playing Michael Jackson and sashaying around a dance floor, yet other groups play majiang and then I reach "my" terrace, laid out in front of a small temple in honour of a local hero. My fellow players are already setting up or into the action depending how quickly I got out of bed - I really appreciate their greetings and acceptance into their number.A large fake stone has a door where the badminton nets and posts are stored, plus a few tables and chairs and the regular groups set up their spots for tea-making, sharing snacks and just chatting. The serious players are diving, smashing and trying to win - no doubt they have a draw that they follow, while the rest share half courts and just play for the fun and fitness of it. The laughter constantly floats out across the trees, the marathon trainee does his circuits, the black and white border collie tries endlessly to herd the shuttlecock into one side of the court without ever trying to grab it, (he somehow doesn't get in the players' way) and the tea drinking and peanut cracking goes on, not to mention the smoking (my least favourite aspect of the scene). The dance music vies with the traditional recordings in the middle distance, and everywhere, the laughter. I never played badminton until I came to China, but now I find there's nothing more satisfying than whacking the shuttlecock with all my strength high, high into the sky where the pigeon flocks flash by, and beyond the trees, the sea.
Well, you might have noticed I carefully avoid saying where this beautiful city is because it's already too popular with domestic tourists, but I shouldn't be mean. It's Xiamen in Fujian - re foreigners, I call it "China's best kept secret city". It's constantly one of the top three domestic destinations every golden week or public holiday but overseas nobody has heard of it. Maybe because it starts with an "X" it seems difficult to say, let alone choose to go to. It's a "second tier city" and it's got generally great weather and relatively clean air. Don't come here!! Stay away!! We like it the way it is, or better still, the way it used to be B.C. (before cars). I keep hoping the hordes of tourists will spread the news that you cannot move on Gulangyu Island or among the Hakka earth houses or on the beaches during the holidays (which is totally true).
Beautiful! You make me want to bat a birdie around, but not climb 400 steps to do it. What a great way to spend the morning! Have a great day.
Great post Patricia! Which city is this version of the beautiful game in?
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