Setting up shop in chengdu means a serenade in style

The 'High prestigiousness and Very Powerful' band in the city of Chengdu are ever available to provide musical concomitant at these events.

Almost every territory in the city has its own band and in Feb competitions are held for the best stage dancing and style of dress.

Troupes can be as large as 40 in figure, according to the enthusiasm of the vicinity, and the bulk are ladies.

Wearing colourful (not to say garish) uniforms, and playing noisy music, they draw interested crowds to the front door of the new eating house or shop.

Their leader, and head drummer, Mrs Tan Ying said: "We don't do this for the money. When we get paid, we put it into a kitty and get a new drum or dress stuff".

Payment is dependant on the figure of people in the band and the time and distance involved.

As ever in China, in substance like this, the cash is discreetly handed over to the leader, in a red envelope.

Mrs Tan continued: "We do it to keep fit, something to occupy the time, make new friends and have fun. It gets us out into the fresh air. We also train a few nighttime a week in the summertime time and try out new modus operandi".

Dressed in the same vibrant red and yellowness garments as the women, with lots of glitzy bits wall hanging here and there, the lone man in the group of 15 women, is the music director and sets the beat on a huge drum.

With an norm age in the mid 50, the ladies - reasonably slim and trim - pound away at the drums and clash the cymbals, and a well-rehearsed dance routine is performed on the pavement, much to the delight of the onlookers.

After a short pause to regain their breath and a quick natter with the locals, they form up in lines of three, and march off around the nearby streets, with a banner held high giving the name of the new enterprise.

Their latest "gig" was a new pharmacy selling western and traditional herbal medicines - and competing with another, a few doors down the street.

The marching phase is when it really gets noisy. Playing music which to western ears seems to be lacking any recognisable rhythm, off they go in step, meeting head-on with the normal traffic of bikes, dust carts, refuse collectors and itinerant hawkers.

Pedestrians along the way shout out loud encouragement, dogs start to bark, parked cars with sensitive alarms begin to hoot, whoop and whistle.

Owners rush out of the teahouse waving their key tags to switch off the cacophony.

Traffic is backed up for five blocks, and irate drivers hit the horn. But there is never any bad language or violence - "loss of face" would not allow it.

Such events are commonplace in my area, all adding colour, noise, and general bedlam to daily life.

Irritating at times, but if you happen upon it as a tourist, take it in your stride and enjoy.