Hands, San Francisco Chinatown, April 2007.
Spend a day observing people in Chinatown, and you will see them: elderly Chinese men and women walking slowly, deliberately, eyes on the ground, shoulders hunched forward, with both hands clasped tightly behind their backs. I've asked friends who would notice this sort of thing, bugged co-workers from Hong Kong and the Mainland who all went "hmmm," googled and Ask Jeeves'd for a satisfying reason for this, but nothing. "It's cultural" (vague). "Back support" (but I don't see old Irish people doing it). "It's carried over from working in the rice paddies" (did you just pull that answer from your ass?).
So what do you think?
its because if you hold yourself, you feel that you exist, you have an anchor in the realworld, and you can easily safty follow your dreamworld. sure, you could clasp your hands in the front, but that is think is less comfortable. and if you have your hands in the front, its always like you want something to do, hands are made for doing something, dreams not. and dreaming is not about wanting something. in the back you cant see them, but still you feel them.
ReplyDeletemaybe irish people dont dream/think that much ;)
ReplyDeletei like the idea that hiding our hands help us to think. it makes sense. when people pace to reflect and make important decisions, they put their hands behind their backs. you see this in movies all the time. whoever you are, thanks for the very wise observation. and for the visit!
ReplyDeleteeman
I think the answer is simpler. They do it beecause their fathers did it, because their fathers did it... like smoking.
ReplyDeleteIt is an ingrained cultural thing, they do it as they mosey along looking for something to pick up! It is a thought process, body language,like any other, they are thinking as they mosey along, the back alleys of my neighbourhood looking through the recyclables or garbage. When they see something they want they take it and with now one hand behind their backs they scurry away.
ReplyDeletenot just old chinese ppl
ReplyDeleteTHEY HIDE THEIR HANDS WAITING TO USE THEIR NINJA SKILLS ON YOU
ReplyDeleteFunny enough, I've noticed that recently in Hong Kong and did a mini photo essay on it :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.richmondlam.com/index.php?/rl/03-the-stroll/
Very interesting! Beautiful photography btw!
DeleteIt's crazy because my granny did it, whom passed 6yrs ago, my daughter is 3yrs old and has been walking with one hand behind her back. Since she could walk ..genetics????
ReplyDeleteWalking with your hands behind your back is very good for your health. Your shoulders are pulled back which helps to keep your spine straight and your body aligned. When you walk with your arms swinging, you are often walking out of balance side to side. This leads to asymmetrical muscle development as well as asymmetrical joint mobility. When you first start to walk like this you may feel out of balance but as you get used to it you will notice that you are walking more evenly and fluidly. Walk slowly and pay attention to your center of balance and I think you will find it quite relaxing and physically therapeutic :)
ReplyDeleteWell said
DeleteI'd say this answer makes most sense and is most likely the right answer..
DeleteI'd say this answer makes most sense and is most likely the right answer..
DeleteI googled this because I found myself doing it, and liked your answer. I do it when I walk in nature at a slow and meditative pace. I think it opens your lungs, corrects slouching, and has a calming and peaceful effect. It's the way you walk when you have nowhere to be, but here.
DeleteAnointed Redbone, it should be "who passed", not whom. Sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteYou all missed the real reason. Holding the hands behind the back allows walking and standing with a slight hunch forward. This relieves the nerve compression of sciatica, a common ailment of older people, especially men. It is possible that many who do this don't even fully recognize why they do it, but just that it makes them feel better.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just the Chinese; I see all kinds of elderly people walking like this in LA. I have been told that its a sign one is at ease.
ReplyDeleteit's cultural and not just seen in china, but also india and other east-asian countries, from both old and young alike. i believe the real answer, is because it presents to people that you are not a threat. possibly deeply ingrained in the cultures for respecting each other and authority.
ReplyDeleteAs we get older, we get rheumatism, and lots of other age-related things that make us not as agile on our feet as we were in our younger days. Walking with your hands behind your back makes you walk straight, tall and erect, and not wobbling all over the place - wherever you like on this planet. Prince Charles isn't Chinese, but he always walks like that. (Kevin)
ReplyDeleteFormer coal miners all do it from there days walking up the tipple to keep there balance
ReplyDeleteOne of the rules on a sign in a temple in Vietnam(Hoi An) requests that visitors should not walk with their hands clasped behind their backs-I cannot find out why.
ReplyDeleteIt is To show respect and non aggression.
DeleteI have spent lots of time in China, and actually live in a Chinatown in the US. I have noticed this as well. I asked my Chinese wife, father-in-law, etc. and have not yet been presented with an answer. My Chinese family/friends had not even noticed it until I pointed it out to them. It must be a cultural thing.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe it could be because of a major "energy gate" of the body in traditional Chinese medicine called the Ming Men. It is found in the low middle back. Perhaps it is a protection or something which aids in retaining energy?
ReplyDeleteThat is my whacky guess.
i do that because it feels normal. I've seen many old people do it unconsciously. It's either for back support or just plain old 'it feels better than to leave the hands awkwardly at the sides'
ReplyDeleteIt is a sign of authority...as in "I don't perceive you to a threat". It is a common stance in Middle Eastern, Eastern and Indian cultures. We don't like it in the West because it either means someone is standing down or they are concealing a weapon behind their back. In my opinion.
ReplyDeletePerception...it is cultural and might not mean what European heritage people perceive
DeleteThere is a famous Chinese ink painting that depicts the famous Tang Dynasty poet, Du Fu, standing with hands clasped behind his back, in a moment of inspiration. You can just do a search in images for "Du Fu painting" and find it. Or here at about.com: http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/10/15/drawing-inspiration-from-tang-dynasty-poets.htm
ReplyDeleteI noticed it and was wondering as well . But after reading all the comments . I guess I'll make my own theory .
ReplyDeleteI notice Chinese men holding hands behind, tend to be walking slowly or are waiting or looking at something eye level or lower or aimlessly walking. My Chinese friend stopped doing this when I told him no one else was doing it! Strange. And he's well traveled.
ReplyDeleteI think it's to present you're not a threat to others as well or you've never been arrested haha
ReplyDeleteIts a sign of humility and respect to other people. It also shows that they are relaxed and of no threat.Plus as you get older your shoulder muscles get weaker, clasping your hands behind your back helps support these muscles, keeping you from being sore later.
ReplyDeleteIts a sign of feeling superior in a moment, a thpught or task accomplished and reminisced about. Its about being aware of your surroundings and thinking deeply while waiting or relaxing in a moment. Its body language. Its the common identifier in a mood or feeling. Its how you know who is weak and prey, and will fold in danger, and it will tell you who is ready and alert and can hold their own. Everybody gives hints of the emotions that they are feeling through body language.
ReplyDeleteWay beyond non-threatening. It’s trust and belief in the higher power/energy. Simple trust that there is way more than this short time in this form. Nothing will harm them, ever. Life is eternal, no matter the beliefs “culturally” behind it.
DeleteWay beyond non-threatening. It’s trust and belief in the higher power/energy. Simple trust that there is way more than this short time in this form. Nothing will harm them, ever. Life is eternal, no matter the beliefs “culturally” behind it.
DeleteWay beyond non-threatening. It’s trust and belief in the higher power/energy. Simple trust that there is way more than this short time in this form. Nothing will harm them, ever. Life is eternal, no matter the beliefs “culturally” behind it.
DeleteWay beyond non-threatening. It’s trust and belief in the higher power/energy. Simple trust that there is way more than this short time in this form. Nothing will harm them, ever. Life is eternal, no matter the beliefs “culturally” behind it.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI googled this because I found myself doing it. I do it when I walk in nature at a slow and meditative pace. I think it opens your lungs, corrects slouching, and has a calming and peaceful effect. It's the way you walk when you have nowhere to be, but here.
ReplyDeleteWhy do old men walk with their hands behind their backs? Because it is more comfortable than running with their hands behind their backs.
ReplyDelete