Experience

When the proprietor of any new establishment in Sichuan province wants to signal that they are opening a new business, the most common form of advertising is to hire a band and dancing troupe!

The 'High Prestige and Very Powerful' band in the city of Chengdu are always available to provide musical accompaniment at these events.

Almost every district in the city has its own band and in February competitions are held for the best choreography and style of dress.

advertisementTroupes can be as large as 40 in number, according to the enthusiasm of the neighbourhood, and the majority are ladies.

Wearing colourful (not to say garish) uniforms, and playing noisy music, they draw interested crowds to the front door of the new restaurant or shop.

Their leader, and head drummer, Mrs Tan Ying said: "We don't do this for the money. When we get paid, we put it into a kitty and get a new drum or dress material".

Payment is dependent on the number of people in the band and the time and distance involved.



Ladies who launch: The band promotes the latest venture

As always in China, in matters like this, the cash is discreetly handed over to the leader, in a red envelope.

Mrs Tan continued: "We do it to keep fit, something to occupy the time, make new friends and have fun. It gets us out into the fresh air. We also train a few nights a week in the summer time and try out new routines".

Dressed in the same vibrant red and yellow garments as the women, with lots of glitzy bits hanging here and there, the lone man in the group of 15 women, is the conductor and sets the beat on a huge drum.

With an average age in the mid fifties, the ladies - reasonably slim and trim - pound away at the drums and clash the cymbals, and a well-rehearsed dance routine is performed on the pavement, much to the delight of the onlookers.

After a short pause to regain their breath and a quick natter with the locals, they form up in lines of three, and march off around the nearby streets, with a banner held high giving the name of the new enterprise.

Their latest "gig" was a new pharmacy selling western and traditional herbal medicines - and competing with another, a few doors down the street.

The marching phase is when it really gets noisy. Playing music which to western ears seems to be lacking any recognisable rhythm, off they go in step, meeting head-on with the normal traffic of bikes, dust carts, refuse collectors and itinerant hawkers.

Pedestrians along the way shout out loud encouragement, dogs start to bark, parked cars with sensitive alarms begin to hoot, whoop and whistle.

Owners rush out of the teahouse waving their key tags to switch off the cacophony.

Traffic is backed up for five blocks, and irate drivers hit the horn. But there is never any bad language or violence - "loss of face" would not allow it.

Such events are commonplace in my area, all adding colour, noise, and general bedlam to daily life.

Irritating at times, but if you happen upon it as a tourist, take it in your stride and enjoy.