吃席 80th Birthday Party in a Chinese Village

As a British guy, it’s very rare to get this kind of opportunity to celebrate at an 80-year-old’s birthday party. This way of celebrating is a traditional part of local Chinese culture in Chongqing. There’s a huge banquet cooked in an open-air kitchen, followed by entertainment like playing mahjong and singing karaoke (KTV), then fireworks, and of course birthday cake! The most important part is when the younger family members all bow to the elders generation by generation. It shows a deep respect for the elders in the family, and as they bow or kowtow, they hit their heads on a metal bowl/basin, which makes a loud sound. The harder they hit their heads, the louder the sound, and the louder the sound, the more excited the other family members get. They are then handed red envelopes containing some money from the elders. It’s such a lively atmosphere, and very different from western cultures. Hope you enjoy this kind of Chinese culture documentary vlog!