It's packed with people from very early in the morning. They come to do things and see what others are doing. First, there are Chinese characters inscribed in the ground at the entrance, as shown in the picture. As you go further into the park, you will find people crouching with a brush and water bottle in their hand and writing out Chinese characters in beautiful calligraphy. They put their heart and soul into writing each character without caring about how others watch them and, soon, the ground is filled with Chinese characters made up of large number of strokes. Some of them I can read, but not every character. Characters fade away with time, but they don't seem to care; they keep writing characters over and over again, perhaps throughout the day. You may think they are simply practicing penmanship, but in some way it shows how much they love their mother tongue.

 People doing calisthenics is a common sight in most parks in China and Zhongshan Park is no different. Calisthenics is more of an art, displaying slow and graceful movement through a set of positions. But, on the other hand, time seems to stop as they move very slowly.

 There are people doing dance practice in line, right at the center of the park. In fact, that is what I see most often at Zhongshan Park. They wear the same outfit and follow when the leader starts to dance. Their excitement and energy are highly contagious, making me excited and jiggle around as well. Though I see them often, they have many new moves that make me stand there and gaze at them for minutes.

 other fun things together. Some do a beautiful fan dance while others fly a kite and kick around jianzi (traditional Chinese sport to kick a heavily weighted shuttlecock in the air by using their legs). What's surprising is that old ladies and elderly men playing games as well. They always look very happy. Looking at them made me realize that happiness is not something big, but found in the smallest of things from daily life.

 Last but not least is martial arts. People practice martial arts in groups of two or more and some of them use a rod, knife, sword and other tools, rather than purely their hands and feet. At first, it was a little strange to see men and women keeping step with each other as they practice their moves together. But now it amazes me how seamlessly they move between the various poses. Such powerful yet temperate moves must be good for their physical health and fitness. Plus, those using tools such as rod, knife and sword demonstrate real passion through their swift moves and focused concentration.

 All of these are special part of Chinese culture found in Zhongshan Park, Shanghai. If you have a chance to visit Shanghai, come to the park and see the real life of Chinese people.