Qian Jiefang and her friends from the neighbourhood senior citizens’ association gathered every morning at 5:55am at the park on Xiangyang lu to do exercises. It was a good idea to keep themselves limber and to ensure that their qi flowed correctly and that the elements were in order.

It would be terrible to run cold and wet when you need to be, say, hot and dry.

However, even after decades of daily exercise she still struggled with the leg stretches. How did Zhang Jianguo get her leg so high? Were her hip joints made of rubber?

Qian Jiefang contented herself with walking backwards and slapping herself. It would have to do.