By Miao Xiaojuan (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-21 10:02

The constant throb of the metropolis below is a distant memory for a group of stressed-out office workers camping on the roof of a three-story building. For these white-collar workers, there is the feeling of peace that comes with looking up at an uninterrupted sky.

A group of Shanghai white-collar workers camp on top of a building. [China Daily]

Sometimes overwhelmed by their high-pressure routines, a small group of young white-collar workers are seeking respite by scaling Shanghai's skyscrapers. All the members of the group are adventure sports enthusiasts and use ropes to climb multi-story buildings. They then pitch tents on the roof and camp out for the night.

The seven young women, most of whom work executive jobs by day, belong to an outdoor sports club called Cat Rain. They describe their extreme brand of urban camping as "exciting".

"It's a good way to release our pressure. You feel relaxed to sit on the roof, look up to the sky and chat with intimate friends," says Gong Ying, 25.

Reaching these rooftop havens is one of creative ways Shanghai workers are beating the stress.

Traditional entertainment, such as Karaoke, card games, or even boxing bars, seem to have lost their appeal.

Feeling choked by their busy city lifestyles, workers feel like urban slaves and develop ways to escape.

They watch late-night horror movies, play online violent games all weekend or log onto websites to vent their frustrations, complain and reveal secrets.

It seems violence is a way to calm these worriers down. Small rubber balls, or stress balls, are also being put to good use and can be found littering the Shanghai subways.

However stressed workers are not confined to Shanghai.

A newly opened restaurant in Beijing encourages their customers to throw plates and smash instruments so long as they paid for the costs. And white-collar workers, with high-pressured jobs, are the restaurant's targeted customers.

Despite the dispute over the restaurant's extravagancy and the violence nature of the new service, some psychologists say the activity reflects Chinese white-collar workers' extreme desire to vent their inner angst.

There are also milder ways to release the pressure, such as watching cartoons and playing in toy stores. Some workers are eager to return to their childhoods. This May, hundreds of people took part in a festival called "Children's Day for Adults," launched by a website in Pudong of Shanghai. One of the participants said they hoped stressed-out workers could have at least one day in a year when they forget all worries and behave like "naive kids".

Chinese workers are also getting ideas from around the world. Last December, a big pillow fight was held near the Eiffel Tower in Paris and people from many different countries threw pillows at each other. Guangzhou people liked the idea and in March staged a similar stress-relieving event.

Similar versions were staged in other places around China. Participant threw soft pillows at anyone they liked, squealing, and laughing.

Pillow fighting has become increasingly popular among stressed-out urbanites. [China Daily]

Interesting places, such as parks and rivers, can also help people relax and also help subjects think of the big picture. But have you considered a cemetery?

Cemetery companies in Shanghai organized office workers to visit local graveyards in March. The guests were taken to a place where they could contemplate on life and their future.

Most white-collar workers interviewed by China Daily say they employ a variety of unique ways to add spice to their daily grinds. "Every month I go to one of my favorite restaurants and have five pieces of pork chops at one time," says Lao Hua who works for an education institute.

Leo Sun, a movie director, says he is fond of taking photos with traditional cameras and makes theatrical drama by himself to release pressure.

Roof-camper Chen Bin, an IT marketing professional, says she has climbed to the rooftops to camp out 30 times. Adding to her unusual pursuit are other adrenalin-fueled interests such as downhill racing and paragliding.

"Pressure may bring us distress, but it doesn't mean we can't find ways out," Chen says. "Life should be imaginative."

(China Daily 08/21/2007 page18)