Shirtless runs in freezing weather are part of one man’s attempt to combat what he and others see as a masculinity crisis in China.
It is 14 degrees the morning two dozen boys gather at a Beijing park to be transformed into alpha males. A reluctant winter sun casts silver light between treacherously cold shadows. The wind bites, worsening nerves as the boys — the youngest 7 — prepare to strip to their waists for a run.
“The gender stereotyping is not just about gender identity itself,” said an author and researcher on Chinese masculinity. “It’s about the reproduction of the nation and how to properly cultivate the next generation.” He has berated fellow screenwriters, saying they portray men as “wimps, cowards, losers and idiots” and that China should look to Hollywood for strong alpha male characters.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for him to gradually cultivate a macho character,” said his mother, who gave her surname as Chen. She described her son as shy and introverted and said participating in outdoor camps boosts his confidence.“If you are a male, you are supposed to have those male traits. If you are a girl, you tend to be softer,” Chen said.
Other Chinese men are also increasingly using cosmetics and facial products. A taxi driver in the eastern city of Linhai faced internet notoriety when photos of him driving while wearing a moisturizing skin mask went viral last year. Chen Yiqun was suspended from work for three days and was the butt of social media jokes, but he also found fans online who applauded his facial regimen.
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