May 20th, Down by the riverside in Harbin

A day out for a picnic with friends, by the river.

On May 20th we went to the banks of the river for some relaxing fun outdoors. We set up tents and had our day at 45°47'46.39"N 126°31'46.89"E.

We started out driving across the river. It was a bright sunny day, and I enjoyed the views of Harbin. As we were crossing the bridge across the Songhua River I noticed an older gentleman riding his bike across the bridge, and some other bicyclists. Generally, the traffic in Harbin seems to chaotic, too dense, and too dangerous for any sensible biking, yet this guy was going along quite confidently. As we pulled up to the parking area between the river and City Hall, who should come riding up on his bike but this very same man I noticed as we crossed the bridge. He came up to me and we had a little conversation. He was an English teacher at a university in Harbin. He graduated from his university studies in 1980, and taught until his retirement in 2005. I asked him about the differences between the students of the late 1970s / early 1980s and the students he had at the end of his career about eight year ago, and he reported that students later in his career didn’t work quite as hard, and they knew how to enjoy life a bit more.

Return to summer diary home page.

Back to previous diary entry.

Forward to next diary entry.


	A view in downtown Harbin near the river.	The science center.	An interesting new building on the north bank of the Songhua River.


	The children have just come out of their cars and are looking forward to a fun day.	The two boys head out with their skateboards into the great plaza in front of Harbin City Hall.	We play graces for a little while before the sun gets too high in the sky.


	The children learned to play graces pretty quickly.	Various vendors cruised the plaza urging us to buy their ice bars. I asked an older woman about the changes she had seen in Harbin, and she told me the most important change was the improved standards of living people enjoyed these days.	The riverbank near city hall seems like a popular place for happy couples to pose for wedding photographs. This bride and groom waved to me as we moved down the hill to the river park area.


	We set up tents in the tree-shaded area furthest from the river, and made this our base.	Closer to the river, the men cooked the food.	There was a mix of departments represented at the barbeque, but it seemed to me the philosophy department was especially well-represented.


	Zhihong’s husband was there helping to roast the meat.	All along the river other groups of happy people were enjoying the day, cooking their picnic lunches, and playing games or enjoying good conversations.	This part of the Songhua river is quite wide, and more like a lake than a river. Children were catching fish in the river.


	The park seemed new, and the trees, almost all of them willow trees, were not especially large yet, but I suppose in a decade or two there will be fine shade in this park.	We had hammocks, and I even took a short nap in one after lunch. The children mainly played in these, as the adult sat together and enjoyed conversation.	It was a hot and sunny day, but there were some breezes, and it wasn’t excruciatingly hot.


	There were still plenty of shellfish in the river, which I suppose indicates that the river isn’t too badly polluted.	Some of the guys (the ones who wouldn’t be driving later in the afternoon) indulged in a few beers.	As usual, I noticed some whimsical trash cans around the park. The Chinese sense of humor is sometimes expressed with these sorts of things.


	Some of the items were unlike anything I’ve seen in an American picnic. The tofu skin salad wraps, for example, were new to me.	The women and men sat together for much of the day.	The children played nearby, and adults took turns playing with the children.


	As my hosts knew I very rarely eat meat, there was a great supply of roasted breads and cakes, cucumbers, tomatos, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.	The atmosphere was cheerful and relaxed all day long. I don’t think I’ve had so much time to just sit around and think and rest since last May.	The children enjoyed rocking each other in the hammocks. The boys played together with the girls pretty well.


	Everyone had some good laughs.	The little girl having her hair fixed was a first-grader, while the other children were second-graders.	The game of graces was certainly enjoyed by the children. I’m glad I brought that along. I wish I had also brought a frisbee.


	The adults played with the children. Everyone was a good sport and took turns.	Some of the children in other groups were getting quite serious about playing in the dirt and sand.	A few people were fishing.


	The image above will open into a massive panorama photo looking across the Songhua river toward Harbin.	I suppose this was another bride arriving on the scene for some wedding photographs.	Arriving back on campus, I wanted to continue staying outdoors and enjoying the weather. I therefore brought a book with me to this park on campus and sat and read for an hour or more.


	Here is another view in the park. The lilac bushes have been in full bloom this whole first week I’ve been here, and I have been enjoying the pefume from the flowers.	Here is a view near the track where many faculty and student like to take a stroll in the evening.	The sun was setting, so I headed back to my room for the evening.

My observations of the picnic and Sunday scene near City Hall:

The park was full of people enjoying picnics, much like any large city park in an American city would be on a summer weekend. People everywhere enjoy going outdoors when the weather is fine to share food and companionship.

Like many of the buildings, the park seemed very new. The willows didn’t yet have the size to provide much shade, but eventually I suppose they will.

Throughout the afternoon various vendors and officials patrolled the area collecting litter and garbage, ensuring that people didn’t start fires outside of the area set aside for barbequeing, or selling treats to anyone who wanted an ice lolly. This was very convenient, and I’m sure the employment of so many people in commerce and services in the park is helpful to the society.

Chinese society seems very regimented, but on this Sunday people were relaxing and having unstructured fun. I suppose with so many people (there are a bit more than four times as many Chinese as Americans, so cities and parks seem about four times more crowded than American comparison cities), I suppose the extra regimentation might be just as much a mechanism for coping with the crowding as an essential part of Chinese culture. But at any rate, the Chinese do seem to enjoy quiet free time relaxing with friends and children, with no particular pressures to accomplish anything or get anything done. I was told that groups of families might organize a day like this four or five times a year, especially in the spring when the weather quickly shifts from the bitterly cold winters to the hot summers.

May is a great time to visit Harbin. Almost every day here so far has been delightful with mild temperatures, and even the hottest days so fare have been bearable. There are lilacs everywhere. Elms and willows seem to be the dominant trees (these are not American elms, but Siberian Elms), and some of the golden willows (Salix alba) are sending out fluff while the elms are shedding their seeds, so the wind carries these bits of life and fills the air with little bits from the trees.

Return to the summer diary home page.

Back to previous diary entry.

Forward to next diary entry.