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你好,欢迎收听随行汉语。 Welcome to Takeaway Chinese.
I'm Niu Honglin with Steve Hatherly in the studio.
Hello, Steve!
Hello!
This is my clue for what we are going to be talking about today.
I thought you were going to say this is my 150-year-old sound that you will be listening to.
If I make it to 150 years old and I can still talk, I'll be impressed.
Well, see, that's the thing.
We have a lot of labels and ideas and sometimes stereotypes about elder people.
But I have to say I think a while ago I watched a video of a renowned broadcaster here in China and she is in her 80s, if not 90s.
And she's still broadcasting.
She's still teaching.
And her voice is so beautiful and elegant.
It does not sound like an elder person.
Wonderful.
She's lucky.
That's also true.
Yeah.
I listen to some famous sports broadcasters.
I am a big fan of hockey and baseball and football.
So I've been following kind of this...
Not following the announcers themselves, but the announcers have kept their positions.
So I've been familiar with them for decades now.
And for a few of them, they are entering into their latter broadcast years, I would say.
And I can feel a little bit of a difference in their voice. voice.
But for me, it doesn't make that much of a difference because I've been following them for so long.
I just love how they do their job.
Yeah.
And here in China, there are different scenarios for sure.
For those who are especially in shows like Children's Show their voices.
They kept the quality of their voices in a really good stage.
I don't know how they do it, but they just managed to do it.
They're professional voice actors.
Yes, that too.
But besides that, in a lot of different areas, in a lot of different careers, aspects of life, you see elder people having a unique position.
They're experienced and now, with the help of technology, they do not need to transition, travel a lot, move around too much to keep doing what they're doing.
And also they are, with this unique advantage of having already the position, the experience and the support.
And in a lot of different places you see elder generation continue to make contribution to either their career, their families or the community.
Yeah, or just society in general.
Exactly.
And that is why.
Well, that I don't think that is why.
But that also reflects that the at least the Chinese culture and society have give a lot of support to the elder generation, because it has been a core value in Chinese culture to respect the elderly, to listen to their advices and also their guidance, and to give them the honor that they deserve.
Yeah, they've lived a long time.
And because they've lived a long time, that means they've seen some stuff.
They've experienced a lot of things that people who are younger have not experienced yet.
So therefore, leaning on them for their advice about...
How to do things or what path perhaps should be taken.
It doesn't mean you have to follow every piece of advice you hear, but it's definitely worthwhile to listen to.
Yeah, in Chinese we say 家有一老如有一寶, so 家 is your home, 有 is have, so in English you say there is, but in Chinese you say it has or the family has or this place has.
So that's the difference between these two.
Similar sentence structure, yet, you know, the differences are here.
So 家有 is there is someone in the family.
一 is one.
老 is old.
So 老人 would be old person.
老年 would be old age, meaning the elders, and also huh We also say.
Well, 老 carries both the meaning of elder and respectful, because 老师 is teacher.
So I'm just saying it there.
So 家有一老, having someone old in the family or where there is a elder in the family, 如 is like.
So it's just like something.
Comparison, kind of like.
So having an older person in the family is just like having a treasure.
Yes.
That's a love.
Chinese is so poetic, isn't it?
In a lot of different ways.
In a lot of different occasions as well.
A lot of different ways.
Yeah, it's true.
You know, my mom is, I talk about my parents a lot these days, I guess, but my mom's 86, I believe.
I better get that right or she'll kill me.
She owns a clothing shop and she'll do fashion show for charity every once in a while.
And I just talked to her this week.
She decided it was going to be her last fashion show.
But she put on a fashion show for charity at the age of 86.
So cool.
It's astonishing, isn't it?
You know we always so unfairly, by the way.
We always assume that when people get into their 60s or 70s or 80s that they should just should might be the wrong choice word that they just kind of fade away.
Yeah, from life, from society, from the majority or the mainstream.
I don't know why.
That's not true.
It's untrue and it's unfair.
And...
You know, there's plenty of examples of why that's untrue and unfair.
Yeah, that's the case.
And here in China, we also have an Elder's Day.
And it's not a modern day festival or a modern day designated day to observe or to worship.
Show our respect to the elder generation.
It's rather a very traditional thing.
We call it Chong Yang Jie.
Chong Yang Jie.
Yes.
Chong carries the meaning of double.
Okay.
And yang is, you know, the yang energy.
And jie is festival.
Chong yang jie, double yang festival.
So yang is sheep.
Yang can be sheep.
It's the double sheep festival.
Okay.
So yang is the yang energy.
We talked about the yin energy and yang energy and yin, yang being a very important concept in Chinese culture.
And the yang energy is like the heat energy.
Yes.
Yes.
The positive heat energy. a dynamic energy.
You know, in traditional Chinese culture we have yin number and yang number and it has nothing to do with odd number and even number.
It's just a designated combination group of numbers that are believed to carry the yin energy and yang energy.
Oh, I didn't know this.
And in short, nine, the number nine is the largest yang number.
Which means the number nine is very significant.
It has a lot to do with the male energy.
Especially in ancient times, people believe males are the ones with more young energy.
It has something to do with a very lucky day.
If it's the ninth day, it's considered lucky in different ways.
And it's considered having something to do with the royal family which, in traditional Chinese culture the royal family or the king or the emperor themselves is the son of the god.
So something also heavenly related.
So the number nine is very, very important.
Why is nine the largest yang number though?
Because it's the largest single digit number.
Okay.
For all the other numbers following, you cannot really pick the largest one.
But nine, it is the largest one.
Okay.
6 is the largest yin number.
I have no idea why.
I'll check it out a bit later.
Ah, so yin numbers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
No, not really.
It's a group of different numbers.
Oh, there's no particular reason.
No, no, no.
I think there are reasons.
It's just there's no rules that you can divide them into based on that rule.
So Double Young Festival means Double Nine Festival.
Yes.
So Nine Nine would be September 9th.
But that's not what time it is now in the calendar.
So it must be by the lunar calendar.
Yes, it's about the traditional Chinese lunar.
Well, the traditional Chinese calendar is the lunar calendar.
Also the solar plus lunar together, traditional farming related chinese calendar.
Okay, so the double yang festival is, and we know that nine is the strongest or highest number for the yang side.
So this means that it's a festival for like ultimate vitality or energy or something like that.
So I think it's more on the front of respecting the elders as one of the most, if not the most important thing and value that the Chinese society holds.
After all, we have saying 百善孝为先, it's a saying in Chinese, 百 is one hundred different, so 百 is hundred, and 善 is benevolent or good.
And xiao is filial piety or honoring the elders in the family.
And wei is is ancient time is.
Xian is the first.
So, among the 100 different benevolent things that you should have, the values you should hold, filial piety is the first one.
It's the fundamental one.
It's the most important one.
Top on the list.
Yes.
So I think, when it comes to Double Nine, it's more about putting respecting the elders in a very vital place in society.
And that is why the Double Nine Festival is the festival for the elders.
Okay.
So then how is this day typically celebrated?
It's not a day off of work, correct?
No, no, no, no.
It's a traditional Chinese festival and it has a lot to do with many ancient traditions or old traditions including.
Well okay, let me get this as well.
It is definitely for the elders, but also the elders are in the family.
So it's also a family festival.
We think about our family members from afar and we pay respect not only to the elder people at home, but also to the ancestors themselves.
So a lot of the rituals have something to do with that.
For example, and also it's the ninth day on the ninth month on Chinese traditional calendar, meaning it's autumn time.
So people would do some autumn rituals.
Climbing mountains and go out appreciating the nature, because when you're with the nature, you do not think about daily matters.
You think about your family from afar and you appreciate the nature, while paying respect to the elders and to the ancestors.
So, for example, 登高望远 would be one thing.
登高 is climb high.
望远 is look far.
So, it's like thinking about your family is one way to pay respect.
Children's Day. the kids kind of get to do something fun, you know?
You take them out to a park or let them play some games, things like that.
You give them some gifts.
Elder's Day.
You make them go hiking?
You don't make them go hiking.
You go hiking.
Oh, what do they do?
They have different things to do.
I don't know about ancient days, but nowadays here in China, in the Chinese society, a lot of different local governments would gather together the elder people and treat them with a great feast and putting on some shows for them to appreciate, allowing them to show their talent as well, especially paintings, and also showing off their calligraphy skills, which they can be really good at sometimes.
And also paying respect to them in gathering them together in a library, for example, and asking whether or not they need some help with their digital devices and having volunteers helping them with that.
So a lot of these activities, and sometimes some governments would also gather together some volunteers to go visit the elders' homes, especially those who are on themselves.
And I think one of the very creative activity I have noticed these recent years is they...
Ask kindergarten kids, of course with the approval of their families and their parents, whether they be spend a day in a home, in an elder's home, so that kids play around.
Kids do not know what they're doing, but they love the companion.
Just a day to hang out with each other.
Yes, and that's also very sweet.
Yeah, bring some youthful spirit to the room.
Yeah, that's very nice.
And it's much better than hiking, isn't it?
Hiking is also nice.
Hiking is the ancient day tradition.
So there's something in Chinese culture then, about ascending to a higher point and and contemplating the important things in life.
A little bit.
No, no, no.
Going to the high area is more like you can appreciate the nature.
Oh, it's simply to get the good view.
Yes.
And also flying the kites are more like sending your good wishes and good luck with the flying very high kites.
And sometimes, after flying so high, you can cut the line and letting it go like sending your wish to the heaven.
Kind of like lighting a lamp.
Yes, a little like that.
We say fang zhi yuan.
Fang zhi yuan.
Fang is to release.
You set it free.
You let it go to where it should go.
And zhi is paper.
Yuan is...
And indeed a bird.
So the paper bird is the kite you fly.
Ah, yes, that makes sense.
So, yeah, so I was thinking too deeply about it.
It's more just about being out in nature, appreciating things and also thinking about.
You know the things that are important to you in your life too, though your family and your dreams and things like that.
That yes yeah, and the better the kite flies, the stronger the fortune it brings, so that there you're kind of onto it.
So really check your kite carefully then before you put it up into the air.
And when I use the word release, it's because some people also believe you release the kite and you can also put on some bad luck on it.
And you release the bad luck, you release the illness, it goes away.
So many different ways to see this.
I'm starting to learn that Chinese culture is a little bit superstitious, too, right?
In ancient times, sure.
Yeah, but that's what I mean.
So here's my question.
So if you want to make sure that your kite is in good condition before you fly it in the sky, because a stronger kite has a better chance of your wishes coming true then what happens if you fly your kite?
This sounds like a joke, but I'm not joking.
What happens if you fly your kite and it like, immediately gets stuck in a tree or a bird hits it, or lightning strikes it or something happens?
Would people believe, oh no, I'm doomed for the next 12 months or something like that?
In fact, no.
In fact, we only believe in the good things.
And even if bad things happen, we have sayings that can reverse the situation.
I see.
So Chinese culture is both superstitious and exceedingly positive.
Yeah, we're kind of like we believe these things can bring good luck, but if it didn't work man, it's superstitious.
We don't really believe in it.
That's not true anyway.
That's not true anyway, yeah.
A little like that.
We're still very practical people.
Yeah, when you say it like that.
And we mentioned earlier, it's not only about the elder people in the family, it's also about the ancestors, which is why 祭祖 is another important word.
Activity for the Double Ninth Festival.
祭祖 Perfect.
So 祭 carries the meaning of paying respect, but paying respect to those who passed away.
And 祖 is 祖先, ancestor.
Okay, so how is that done then?
Well, it is very common, or very similar to the activities that would be carried away during the Qingming Festival as well as, for example, sometimes even during spring festival, period of time, that is, people would visit ancestral graves to pay their respects and show filial piety.
You that way?
Okay, sure that's quite common in many cultures.
Yes, they bring fruit.
Well, in ancient days they would even bring some paper money.
That is not real money, but They would fold the paper into the shape of a little silver nugget or a gold nugget and they burn it right in front of the ancestors grave so that it carries the meaning that you are transferring it from your world to the passed away's world.
I remember last year and I didn't really get it at the time because I was still new, but I remember we talked about last year that the culture is changing a little bit, where people are getting a little bit more creative with the paper things that they are folding.
I forget what those examples were, though.
Whereas traditionally it would be like a nugget or something like that.
But younger people were designing different types of paper things to burn.
Yes, yes.
It has been a trend for a while, I think at most.
Five, ten years ago, but not anymore, because burning, we know it's bad for the environment.
And with 绿色祭扫 happening, being very, very popular in the Chinese society, 绿色 is green, and 祭, we talked about it, it's the same with 祭祖, paying respect, and 扫 is 扫墓. sweeping the tomb.
So 祭祀 together is all of the activities done when you are visiting the graves.
So 绿色 is green.
Green, paying respect.
We are resorting to greener ways to do that.
And let alone the Double Ninth Festival, is more about the living elders in the family and little less about the ancestors.
So it's not that common.
And even for Qingming Festival or the Clear and Bright Festival, it's no longer that common.
But yes, you're right.
Around 10 15 years ago, people used to get very creative in creating some paper model of, for example, cars.
Yeah.
Refrigerators, televisions, iPad.
Would that be something?
Oh, so the idea is that they want their ancestor to have this item.
Yes.
And cell phone.
Yes.
That's cool.
That's cool.
But now, without those items being common in these activities, some people would resort to virtual or VR technology.
They recreate their ancestors grave in on the Internet. with a lot of different technology.
Because they physically, it's just not possible to get there.
Yes, yes.
And that is another way to do it, making it both, I think, good for the environment and also easier for them to communicate, send their wishes and paying respect whenever they have time.
Yeah, exactly.
Because then it doesn't have to just be on that particular day.
They can do that whenever they want.
Yes.
And going back to the living elders in our families, we already mentioned that these days, I think you're totally right when you say people have this wrong perception that elder people they get bit old and they fade away, because at least in the Chinese society, we're seeing more and more very active elder people in different ways.
For instance, these days I think there has been a new policy in different provinces here in the country, and And different provinces have rolled out, according to their own situation, different encouraging policies allowing different companies and schools and universities, as well as, of course hospitals, to hire, to create positions specifically for those who are retired, which in China is those who are over the age of 60.
They are very active.
They have the experience and they have the energy, and their quality of work can sometimes be even much better than those who are really newbies in these areas.
Yeah, and you'll find that in Western culture as well.
A lot of positions for people in their retirement because yeah, they're not only capable, but they're willing and they want to.
So why not?
You know, if you have able bodied individuals who want to continue to work well, sure they might not be able to continue to work in the same things that they were doing before.
But why shouldn't they be allowed to have positions where they could contribute to whatever it is?
And the wonderful thing is that in retirement, I guess you have a little bit more freedom to choose the thing that you really want to do.
Yeah.
And maybe a little bit more freedom than you had in your career.
Yes, the elder people are working and at the same time they are also learning.
We talked about seniors universities here in China.
It's a thing.
It's the 老年大学.
Laonian is the elder generation university, the university designated to open access for different courses.
For the elder generation.
They can learn to, for example, be a really good photographer much better than I am and painting even embroidery, which I thought would be tricky if you do not still have the perfect eyesight as when you were young.
But they are doing a really good job.
And a lot of different skills different when I'm saying skills, I mean life skills and art skills, instead of the skills you put in use for a job, kind of skills.
And again, it just makes sense, because it's not like when people get older, you know, their arms and legs fall off or their eyes fall out of their body.
They're still capable human beings.
Yes.
Yeah, I don't know what it is about society.
It seems to be kind of a global.
Global might not be a fair thing, but at least in Western culture and by the sounds of things, maybe here in parts of Asia as well.
It's just we kind of make an assumption.
Young people make an assumption that older people are less capable, and that is...
That is slowly but very effectively being reversed by the active elder people in the society.
I think less and less people hold that perception nowadays.
And we talked about them working and studying.
And guess what?
For those who are not interested in working anymore, of course they can live on their pension and they can travel around and they enjoy life.
Actually, this year I've been traveling a lot to different places doing reports.
And I realized that previously we talked about the travel photography.
In old days it's usually the outgoing active and young people who would dress up in traditional costume from that local ethnic group or local culture and take photos.
And this year I saw so many people in their, like, 60s and 70s and 80s.
Dressing up.
Dressing up.
Their beautiful silver hair pair up perfectly with the traditional costume, which are very extravagant and beautiful.
Oh, gosh.
That would look very elegant, wouldn't it?
It is.
And a lot of the times it's both the male and female couple and they look elder, yet they also look elegant and very happy together when they're taking the pictures.
And yes, the elder people are enjoying their life much more than ever.
I was going to say, well, that's fun because maybe that was their clothing when they were young.
But that's not true.
No.
Because that would be hundreds of years ago.
This would be completely, completely different times.
But yes, they're working, they're studying, they're having fun.
They're doing exactly what we're doing, but sometimes even better.
And that is why we love the elders.
Ask if you haven't, if you're lucky enough to have an elder in your family and uh, The day comes, ask them what they want to do on that particular day, what they want to eat, where they want to go.
It's their day.
It's their day.
And let's celebrate the day for them, with them, and make it about them.
I like it.
Although I'm not looking forward to the day when I'm the one being celebrated.
It's okay.
I kind of look forward to it.
Do you really?
I'll be a very happy elder lady.
You know that expression.
You know people don't like getting older.
But when you consider the alternative, then getting older is not such a bad thing.
And that brings us to the end of today's Takeaway Chinese.
I'm Niu Honglin with Steve Hatherly for today's show.
For more episodes, you can visit our website at radio.cgtn.com and go to the column podcast.
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感谢收听,我们下次再见!
Thanks very much.
See you next time.
