Figure 1.--China has a number of children's choirs. Normally they are mixed choirs with both boys and girls. We have no information on individual choirs at this time. This looks to beva teen choir.

Boys in China, as in all other countries, engage in a wide range of activitiies for which specialized clothing are costuming is worn. Here we are just beginning to collect some basic information. This clothing and costume has changed over time and along with changing political regimes in China. This includes choir, dance, music, school, sports, youth groups, and a range of other activities. There are several children's choirs in China, normally mixed choirs with both boys and girls. There are also several dance groups. Many such groups specialize in ethnic or folk groups. We know less about music. Most Chinese schools require school uniforms. Sports are popular in China, but there does not appear to be any tradition of inter-scholastic athletics or broad-based programs, like children's soccer leagues, giving children of average ability the chance to enjoy competitive athlectics.

Choirs

There are several children's choirs in China although we have very limited information about them. We do not know if there were children's choirs in the long historical tradition of China. We know that informal choirs were organized by Chruistian missionaries. The first formal choirs we havecnoted are from after the 1949 Communist Revolution. The Chinese choirs that we have noted are normally mixed choirs with both boys and girls. We have observed no tradition of boys' choirs as in the West. We have no information on individual choirs at this time. We know little about these choirs, incliding the type of music they perform, who sponsors them, and how they are costumed. These choirs include different age groups. We have noted both children's and teen choirs. Ethnic or regional costuming appears less important in these choirs than with dance groups. Some have costumes of rather formal western clothes (figure 1). Others appear to perform in simple almost casual children's clothes.

Dance

There are also several Chinese dance groups. Many such groups specialize in ethnic or folk groups. Again normally these groups are mixed with both boys and girls performing together, often in elaborate costumes.

Music

We know little about music.

Schoolwear

Chinese school children in the 2000s all wear uniforms. The uniforms are seasonal, depending on where the school is located in China. The summer uniforms usually consist of short pants and a shirt in the same style, sometimes in quite bright colors. Sailor collars are frequent for girls. One favourite style is a colored suit with piping in white or a contrasting color. Children used to wear their school uniforms with red Young Pioneer scarves, but this is now less common.

Sports

Sports are popular in China, but there does not appear to be any tradition of inter-scholastic athletics or broad-based programs, like children's soccer leagues, giving children of average ability the chance to enjoy competitive athlectics. In China the Government's focus on sports has been to identify a small number of gifted potential athletes at an early age and provide them specialized training so they can compete in international athletic competitions.

Work

Many Chinese children had to work. Child labor was also a problem in America and Europe, but it was an especally severe problem in China because of the crushing problem. Relatively few children wee able to attend school and a vast paprt of the population was illiterate. Children in China worked as virtual slaves in terrible conditions. Most of the available images show Cinese child laborers in traditional clothing. Once the Republic was established in 1911, there was increasing interest in launching a national educational system. Many schools were founded, but still most chgildren had to work. The Government energies were focused on first fighting the war lords (1910s-20s) and then the Japanese (1930s and early 40s). Only after the Communists emerged victorious in the Civil War (1945-49) did the Chinese Government begin to address the issue of child labor and education in a comprehensive fashion.

Religion

A British student has asked about clothing worn in China for religious observations. "I need to ask you a few questions about Chinese clothing in the moden day for a report I am writing. I want to know what Chinese people wear to pray or in festivals." HBC at this time has little information on religious attire. China's Communist Government today no longer bans religion. (Earlier especially during the Cultural Revolution, religion was actively supressed.) Today the Government tolerates religion, but limits the practice of it. Only religions which apply for an receive official recognition can operate in China. Government officials tend to be suspicious about religious activity, considering it a threat to the regime. In recent years the banned Falung Gong has been actively upressed by the Government which consider it a cult adversely afecting the morals and ell bing of the people. The Government clearly believes that it must control reliou practice in the county. Those who attempt to practice an unrecognized religion can receive a severe prison penalty. The Communist Party still controls access to education and those active in religious activity are often denied access to education, especially university eduction. As a result, there is not a great deal of public praying. As to traditional religious festivals, we are unsure at this time to what extent they are tolerated or how people dress for them.

Youth Groups

China as a Communist country has the Young Pioneer movement and does not permit Scouting. Once virtually all Chinese children wore their red Young Pioneer scarves to school and elsewhere, but this is no longer as common. All Chinese children have to belong to the Young Pioneers youth group. Normally children just wore red scarves with their ordinary clothes. For special occasions, a Young Pioneer boy might wear a red scarf with white shirt. Youth leades were idenyified by red bars on their sleeves. There are three official position in Young Pioneer, one bar is junior captain, two bars are a mid-captain, and three bars is the highest rank. Scouting has not been permitted in most of China since the Revolution (1949), but does operate in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Created: August 28, 2001
Last updated: June 30, 2003