Meet the Grannies of China who won't stop dancing

Some people think that war is just around the corner.  This conflict is not fuelled by gun-toting religious extremists however, or prickly-pear nationalists with a beef about Romania. No, this war is going to be inter-generational.

Let’s sketch out the battle lines. Once upon a time, pensioners were considered among the most vulnerable people in society. But not anymore. Today’s retirees, the so-called baby-boomers, live comfortable lives, funded by generous pension plans now closed to new entrants. They own homes classed as “unaffordable” and they circle the wagons if their interests are threatened. A recent proposal by a think tank to cut free bus passes for over-60s’s resulted in a nation-wide petition signed by 140,000.

On the other side of this struggle, we have the young people of Britain struggling to find a job, so they can pay off a mountain of debt acquired at university. The prospect of owning a flat sounds a bit like science fiction and saving money for retirement will probably have to wait until retirement (because they will be still be working anyway).

Faced with the new facts of life, you might expect young people to make their feelings public – they have plenty to get frustrated about when you consider the way pensioners benefit disproportionately from government subsidies and tax breaks. But we have seen very little in the way of protest from the ‘jilted generation’. The only example perhaps, angry university students in 2010, who took to the streets and broke a few windows after the coalition ramped up university fees.

Still, there is an alternative example – a battleground where the generations have sized each other up and (in a few cases) gone to war with each other. Yes, they have been doing it all summer in China. As you will see in our special report, the catalyst in this struggle is public space – or rather the lack of it.

Life has never been so good for retirees in China. They have time, money and no shortage of people to socialize with (China is rapidly aging – by 2040 there will be 300 million people over the age of 65) and on the topic of socializing, the number one activity is almost certainly dancing. Here is how it works. Dozens – or even hundreds of people – troop down to the local park, set up their speakers and start pumping out the tunes. Some waltz, others line-dance, a number even bump ‘n grind and they do it in the morning and the afternoon and even late at night.

There is a big problem of course – these ‘dancing grannies’ are driving young people crazy. They have got more important things to do, like studying for exams or getting to sleep after a tough day at work. Unsurprising perhaps, some people have taken matters into their own hands, hurling insults and water balloons and even human waste on those twirling and two-stepping below.

The generations may argue about different things in China and the UK – the Chinese authorities for example, have not set aside enough communal living space in their fast growing cities and experts think younger and older people will increasingly find themselves at loggerheads. But do not expect China’s youth to win the argument. Much like the UK, the Chinese government knows better than to antagonize a determined group of retirees.

Follow @c4sparks on Twitter