Leisure Lifestyles in Urban China

Chinese leisure has received little attention from
either Chinese or international scholars. Because of
the long history of Chinese leisure, and because
China has the largest population in the world,
understanding Chinese leisure may greatly assist us
in understanding the evolution of leisure in general
and in predicting its future. Media habits (e.g.,
movies, reading, etc.) are considered the most
important activities by urban Chinese. Social
activities (visiting friends and relatives, dating,
chatting, attending family gatherings) play
important roles in Chinese urban daily life. Passive
leisure, as a form of leisure, continues to play a
dominant role in the leisure activities of the
Chinese urban population. Among the passive leisure
activities pursued by the Chinese urban population,
meditation is not only one form of leisure activity,
it is also an alternative medicine that may
contribute to enhance the Chinese urban population s
health. Furthermore, Chinese traditional culture may
still influence urban people s leisure preferences;
modern urban Chinese people continue to seek
mountains and water places for their leisure.

Autorentext
Dr. Dong is a native Chinese and completed a Master of Science in Japan and a Ph.D. in Leisure Studies from Pennsylvania State University, U.S.A. He is an assistant professor in Health, Physical Education and Leisure Studies at University of South Alabama, U.S.A. He conducted many fieldwork related to leisure lifestyle in urban settings.

Klappentext
Chinese leisure has received little attention from either Chinese or international scholars. Because of the long history of Chinese leisure, and because China has the largest population in the world, understanding Chinese leisure may greatly assist us in understanding the evolution of leisure in general and in predicting its future. Media habits (e.g., movies, reading, etc.) are considered the most important activities by urban Chinese. Social activities (visiting friends and relatives, dating, chatting, attending family gatherings) play important roles in Chinese urban daily life. Passive leisure, as a form of leisure, continues to play a dominant role in the leisure activities of the Chinese urban population. Among the passive leisure activities pursued by the Chinese urban population, meditation is not only one form of leisure activity, it is also an alternative medicine that may contribute to enhance the Chinese urban population's health. Furthermore, Chinese traditional culture may still influence urban people's leisure preferences; modern urban Chinese people continue to seek mountains and water places for their leisure.