When a Traffic Jam Became a Tai Chi Show
Ever sat in a snarling traffic jam so bad that your toes go numb and you just can’t stop fidgeting?
On a bewildering weekday in Sichuan, a lone auntie turned that maddening slowdown into a living‑room lesson in calm.
The Scene
- Location: Cheng Nan Expressway, Sichuan.
- Timing: First week of China’s Golden Week, when the roads are packed like a karaoke crowd.
- Why it mattered: With cars as slow as molasses, the driver’s aggro spiked and the clock ticked.
The Unusual Arsenal: Tai Chi
Heard of the ancient Chinese martial art that’s more about sweeping moves and deep breaths than sparring?
Tai Chi is your go-to calm‑down routine – think dowse on the road, sweetened with a pocket‑sized yoga session.
Our resident ‘auntie’ started his one‑hour session right then and there and let’s just say… it turned into a two‑hour performance (the jam was slow, but she was slower).
Rain or Shine, She Stayed in the Flow
Even as light rain began to hit the windshield, she kept moving like she’d just auditioned for a movie titled “The Steady Gait.”
She didn’t even pause for a single siesta.
The Viral Splash
A short clip of her in mid‑pose went only up on Weibo on October 2 and exploded: more than 300 million views closed the loop from a traffic jam to a pop‑culture spotlight.
Guess you can’t tackle a column of trucks by standing idle – you can tackle them, too, with a little tai‑chi and a big smile.
