Wang Guocai, 68-year-old rises at daybreak, reaches for his birdcage and heads to one of Beijing’s numerous green areas, to get his daily dose of exercise. Arriving at the park, the retired post office worker runs into his peers, where he’ll join them in this morning’s activity -- an aerobic workout. Some are warming up; others are already bending, stretching and walking around backwards. All are accompanied by their birds, which sing merry tunes as their cages swing from the trees. For audibility, the birds face strong competition -- not far away a group of grey-haired women frolic about, waving large red fans in unison, while percussionists hypnotise them with drums and cymbals. Beijing’s old folk are young at heart. Meanwhile, just outside the park, the city’s younger inhabitants edge ever closer to a brain haemorrhage as they negotiate the city’s crowded ring roads, honking their car horns all the way. Arrival at the park, the retired post office worker runs into his peers, where some are warming up; others are accompanied by their birds, which sing merry tunes as their cages swing from the trees. For audibility, the birds face strong competition - not far away a group of gray-haired women frolic about, waving large red fans in unison, while percussionists hypnotise them with drums and cymbals. Beijing, the old folk are young at heart. Meanwhile, just outside the park, the city’s younger inhabitants edge ever closer to a brain haemorrhage as they negotiate the city’s crowded ring roads, honking their car horns all the way.