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| The birthday cake - 6 tiers topped by a symbolic longevity peach |
A week ago I was in Chenjiagou enjoying the 60th birthday celebrations of Chen Xiaoxing. Unlike the West’s obsession with youth,
in Chinese culture the 60th birthday is a landmark birthday and is the first
birthday to be marked by large scale celebrations. It was fitting of the man
that the party wasn’t held in some fancy restaurant, but in his training hall!
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| Evening celebrations |
The Chinese zodiac is made up of 12 creatures - the rat, ox, tiger,
rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Each creature
in turn is associated with one of the 5 elements of wood, fire, earth, metal
and water. Chinese astrologers consider the age of 60 to be the completion of
one life cycle – (The 12 creatures multiplied by the 5 elements equates to 60
distinct phases), an auspicious number in Chinese culture. Those who achieve
the plateau of 60 years begin a new life cycle at that point.
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| Saying my piece - just one of the many speeches |
Chen
Xiaoxing has lived in Chen Village all his life. He knows
everyone in the village, and they all know him. Surrounded
by his family, friends and disciples - like all good Chinese celebrations it
began with a succession of speeches. One after another stood up to praise him for his modesty skill and martial virtue or "wude".
When everyone else had finished Chen Xiaoxing stood up and in his usual understated way offered the following
advice:
“Don’t criticise other people. Don’t boast about yourself. Just put
your head down and train”!
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| After the afternoon banquet the whole school demonstrated for Chen Xiaoxing and his guests. |
