HSK 5 · Article · 592 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-do-chinese-aunties-dance-in-public-squares

广场舞为什么这么火？

Why do Chinese aunties dance in public squares?

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我wǒ妈mā退休tuìxiū以后yǐhòu，比bǐ上班shàngbān的de时候shíhou还hái忙máng。每天měitiān晚饭wǎnfàn一yì吃chī完wán，她tā就jiù拿起náqǐ一个yígè小xiǎo音箱yīnxiāng往外wǎngwài走zǒu：“我wǒ去qù广场guángchǎng了le！”楼下lóuxià的de空地kòngdì上shàng，几十jǐshí位wèi阿姨āyí早就zǎojiù站zhàn好hǎo了le。音乐yīnyuè响起xiángqǐ，大家dàjiā挥手huīshǒu、转身zhuǎnshēn、拍手pāishǒu，动作dòngzuò整整齐齐zhéngzhěng-qíqí。这zhè就是jiùshì广场舞guángchángwǔ。

在zài中国zhōngguó，只要zhǐyào有yǒu一yí块kuài空地kòngdì，就jiù可能kěnéng有人yǒurén跳tiào广场舞guángchángwǔ：公园gōngyuán里、小区xiǎoqū门口ménkǒu、超市chāoshì前面qiánmiàn。最zuì热闹rènao的de时候shíhou是shì早上zǎoshang和hé晚饭wǎnfàn以后yǐhòu。跳舞tiàowǔ的de大多dàduō是shì中老年zhōnglǎonián女性nǚxìng，大家dàjiā常cháng叫jiào她们tāmen“广场舞guángchángwǔ大妈dàmā”。据jù估计gūjì，全国quánguó经常jīngcháng跳tiào广场舞guángchángwǔ的de人rén有yǒu一亿yíyì左右zuǒyòu。

为什么wèishénme这么zhème多duō人rén爱ài跳tiào？我wǒ妈mā的de理由lǐyóu很hěn简单jiǎndān：“不bù花钱huāqián，能néng锻炼duànliàn，还hái能néng聊天liáotiān。”第三dìsān条tiáo也许yéxǔ最zuì重要zhòngyào。孩子háizi长大zhǎngdà离开líkāi了le家jiā，退休tuìxiū以后yǐhòu白天báitiān常常chángcháng没méi人rén说话shuōhuà，可是kěshì在zài广场guángchǎng上shàng，每天měitiān都dōu有yǒu一yì群qún老朋友lǎopéngyou等děng着zhe你nǐ。对duì很hěn多duō老人lǎorén来lái说shuō，广场舞guángchángwǔ是shì保持bǎochí健康jiànkāng、赶走gánzǒu孤独gūdú的de好hǎo办法bànfǎ。

广场舞guángchángwǔ的de歌gē也yě很hěn有yǒu特点tèdiǎn：节奏jiézòu快kuài，声音shēngyīn大dà，一yì听tīng就jiù想xiǎng跟着gēnzhe动dòng。像xiàng《小苹果》这样zhèyàng的de歌gē，被bèi很hěn多duō人rén叫作jiàozuò“广场舞guángchángwǔ神曲shénqǔ”。动作dòngzuò也yě不用búyòng自己zìjǐ想xiǎng：2015年nián，国家guójiā专门zhuānmén请qǐng专家zhuānjiā编排biānpái了le十二shí’èr套tào广场舞guángchángwǔ，在zài全国quánguó推广tuīguǎng。

可是kěshì，不是búshì每měi个gè人rén都dōu想xiǎng在zài晚上wǎnshang九jiǔ点diǎn听tīng《小苹果》。楼上lóushàng的de孩子háizi要yào睡觉shuìjiào，第二天dì’èrtiān要yào上班shàngbān的de人rén想xiǎng早点儿záodiǎnr休息xiūxi。于是yúshì，在zài不少bùshǎo地方dìfang，邻居línjū和hé跳舞tiàowǔ的de人rén吵chǎo了le起来qǐlai。2014年nián，温州wēnzhōu一yí栋dòng楼lóu的de居民jūmín实在shízài受不了shòubuliǎo了le，大家dàjiā一起yìqǐ出chū了le二十六万èrshí-liùwàn元yuán，买mǎi来lái一套yítào大dà音响yīnxiǎng，准备zhǔnbèi“反击fǎnjī”。

后来hòulái，各地gèdì都dōu开始kāishǐ想xiǎng办法bànfǎ。2022年nián起qǐ，按照ànzhào新xīn的de法律fǎlǜ，在zài公共场所gōnggòng-chángsuǒ跳舞tiàowǔ要yào遵守zūnshǒu时间shíjiān和hé音量yīnliàng的de规定guīdìng，如果rúguǒ劝quàn了le还hái不bù听tīng，可能kěnéng会huì被bèi罚款fákuǎn。有的yǒude地方dìfang，阿姨āyí们men干脆gāncuì戴dài上shàng耳机ěrjī跳舞tiàowǔ。旁边pángbiān的de人rén一点儿yìdiǎnr音乐yīnyuè也yě听不见tīngbujiàn，只zhǐ看见kànjiàn一yì群qún人rén安安静静ān’ān-jìngjìng地de跳舞tiàowǔ，动作dòngzuò还是háishi那么nàme整齐zhěngqí。

以前yǐqián总是zǒngshì我wǒ忙máng，没méi时间shíjiān陪péi我wǒ妈mā。现在xiànzài反过来fǎnguòlai了le。上个星期shànggè-xīngqī，我wǒ晚上wǎnshang七点半qīdiǎnbàn给gěi她tā打电话dǎdiànhuà。她tā一yì接电话jiēdiànhuà就jiù说shuō：“跳舞tiàowǔ呢ne，九jiǔ点diǎn以后yǐhòu再zài说shuō！”然后ránhòu就jiù把bǎ电话diànhuà挂guà了le。这zhè句jù话huà，以前yǐqián都dōu是shì我wǒ对duì她tā说shuō的de。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
动作	dòngzuò	movement; action; move; motion
热闹	rènao	lively; bustling; fun; excitement
女性	nǚxìng	woman; female; the female sex
估计	gūjì	to estimate; to reckon; estimate
也许	yéxǔ	perhaps; maybe; probably
特点	tèdiǎn	characteristic; feature; trait
叫作	jiàozuò	to be called; to be known as
专门	zhuānmén	specially; especially; specialized; special
实在	shízài	really; truly; indeed
各地	gèdì	everywhere; all over (a country or the world)
退休	tuìxiū	to retire; retirement
广场	guángchǎng	public square; plaza

English (for the teacher)

Since my mum retired, she’s been busier than when she was working. Every evening, the moment dinner is over, she grabs a small speaker and heads out: “Off to the square!” On the open ground downstairs, dozens of aunties are already lined up. The music starts, and everyone waves, turns and claps, every move in perfect time. This is square dancing.

In China, wherever there’s a patch of open ground, someone may be square dancing on it: in parks, at the gates of housing estates, outside supermarkets. It’s busiest in the morning and after dinner. Most of the dancers are middle-aged and older women, often called “square-dancing aunties”. By some estimates, about a hundred million people in China square-dance regularly.

Why do so many people love it? My mum’s reasons are simple: “It’s free, it’s exercise, and you get to chat.” The third may matter most. The children have grown up and left home, and after retiring there’s often no one to talk to all day, but out on the square, a group of old friends is waiting for you every day. For many older people, square dancing is a good way to stay healthy and keep loneliness away.

The songs stand out too: a fast beat, plenty of volume, the kind that makes you want to move the moment you hear it. Songs like “Little Apple” are known to many as “square-dance anthems”. You don’t even have to make up the moves yourself: in 2015, the state had experts choreograph twelve square dances and promoted them across the country.

But not everyone wants to hear “Little Apple” at nine in the evening. Upstairs, children need to sleep, and people with work the next day want an early night. So in quite a few places, neighbours and dancers started to argue. In 2014, the residents of one building in Wenzhou had had enough: together they put up 260,000 yuan for a big sound system, ready to “strike back”.

After that, places everywhere began looking for answers. Since 2022, under a new law, dancing in public places has to keep to the rules on time and volume, and anyone who still won’t listen after being spoken to can be fined. In some places, the aunties simply put on headphones to dance. People nearby can’t hear a note; all they see is a group of people dancing in total silence, every move still perfectly in time.

I used to be the busy one, with no time for my mum. Now it’s the other way round. Last week, I rang her at half past seven in the evening. The moment she picked up, she said: “I’m dancing, talk after nine!” Then she hung up. That line used to be mine.