Friday, August 17, 2007

China's outdoor exercise equipment

In Peter Hessler's Letter from China in the Feb 13 & 20, 2006 New Yorker, he writes:
Not long after I mobed into Little Ju-er, Beijing stepped up its campaign to host the 2008 Games, and traces of Olympic glory began to touch the hutong. In an effort to boost the athleticism and health of average Beijing residents, the government constructed hundreds of outdoor exercise stations. The painted steel equipment is well-intentioned but odd, as if the designer had caught a fleeting glimpse of a gym and then worked from memory. At the exercise stations, people can spin giant wheels with their hands, push big levers that offer no resistance, and swing on pendulums like children at a park.
We found this equipment in other cities as well, including near the first place we stayed in Shanghai. Julie and I kind of liked it; like a playground for adults while the kids played next door.

Here's the video:

2 comments:

Parkside said...

I was scanning this and first thought this was a news report feature from YouTube, then I realized it featured people I know! You did a great job from videography to captioning to soundtrack. I just wish the resolution was a bit better, it was too grainy to really see the kids and Jules. The one where you kind of sit and then stand is hilarious.

Unknown said...

Nice and informative information shared by your blog. I really appreciate it.
China Fitness Equipment