As recently as last year, Chinese state media was hailing guandan as the card game that “can get you a promotion in China”.
The country was holding open tournaments, and workers were encouraged to use it as a social and professional networking tool.
Guandan, or “throwing eggs”, is a four-person, two-team game of strategy. It has been around for decades, beginning in Jiangsu province, and was a favoured pastime of former leader Deng Xiaoping.
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But now it appears to have fallen out of favour with the highly interventionist ruling Communist party – being blamed for encouraging a “passive attitude” towards work, and encouraging the formation of cliques among party cadres.
A recent run of articles in the state-run Beijing Youth Daily described guandan as intoxicating and “decadent”, warning that it was “time to control the trend of ‘laying flat’ among all guandan players”. Laying flat (tangping in Chinese) is the term given to a social trend among young people who are rejecting high-pressure jobs for an easier lifestyle, which has alarmed authorities.
This is totally the stop having fun meme.
Except you’ll probably end up being thrown in a labor camp before too long. Can’t have you enjoying life, Comrade. Back to work for the next 20 hours.
Can’t have you enjoying life
Capitalism: “ooh… that’s my fetish.”
China’s flavor of “communism” is authoritarian capitalism, so that checks out.
oh, I see you have made friends with similar interests eh? BANNED.
Too many card games? Jail.
Too few card games? Also jail.
We have the best card games in the world. Because of jail.
Well now I want to learn how to play this. I love playing spades. Bridge is pretty boring but maybe I don’t do it right.
edit: oh hell yes. You want action? This game will give you action!
Oh, it’s basically the same as Asshole (or Janitor, as my grandmother called it) but with teams, a definite goal, and a few more valid card combinations. One is obviously a derivative. Now I wonder which came first.
Edit: And to answer my own question:
It is a Westernized version of Chinese climbing card games[5] such as Zheng Shangyou, Tien Len in Vietnam and the Japanese Daifugō.[1]
Seems legit fun
Soon “lying flat” will end you up in the reeducation camp
Pooh Bear must have lost a few too many games.
If China can prevent Americans from talking about pickleball that would help a lot
Is pickleball the US equivalent of padel tennis in the Netherlands? So many people talking about how amazing padel is, and so many tennis courts being replaced with padel courts.
Sounds similar
Upon a quick wiki search it appears they are slightly different
Lol. Pickleball stuff is getting more expensive than tennis equipment. It’s actually a good time to get into a real sport.
You can buy new tennis balls for like $1 each, while pickleballs are more. Think about that: tennis balls are rubber and fuzz, hard to make. Pickleballs are just plastic. Same with the racquets. Pickleball stuff is just plastic and maybe a rubber grip. Tennis racquets can be all kinds of expensive carbon fiber.
So what your saying is pickleball is a psyop designed to use up the plastic they can’t use in our soap and grocery bags anymore? Gotcha.
Help me China make them stop!
But for real everyone I know that plays it is a dork (in the nicest way possible). I’m glad people are getting outside and being social. I’d rather swing some battle maces or ride motorcycles.
The article is worth a read. It’s a fascinating insight into Chinese culture, or at least the culture the CCP wants to breed.
It’s like they don’t want any social circles or close friendship.
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MBFC: Left-Center - Credibility: Medium - Factual Reporting: Mixed - United Kingdom
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