Enjoying elderly life in central Yunnan’s Yuxi

In the morning of September 22, Tang Youzhen, a 64-year-old retired lady arrived at the Hutian community in Yuxi city, central Yunnan province. She had an appointment with her dentist on that day.

Coming to receive medical treatments at this particular place has become a routine of her, despite the fact that she lives some 10 kilometers away.

But what makes her to travel all the way to the community every week or two? There must be some other reasons.

Hutian is one of many communities or residential areas in Yuxi that is dominated by elderly population.

In order to facilitate old people’s life and cope with the aging problem in general, a number of services, such as health exams, haircutting and housecleaning, have been provided here without charging them any money.

“Taking care elderly people is our job as well as our duty,” said Wang Tian’e, the director of Hutian community center.

“To those elderly people who have physical or mental disabilities, we also bring our services to their homes,” she added.

There is also a buffet restaurant not far from the community which prepares three meals a day for people living nearby, particularly old residents.  

Zhang Yan, 62, and her neighbors are frequenters of this restaurant. “The restaurant offers discount to every one of us with over 60 years old,” says she. “We can eat whatever we like here. And more importantly, we all eat together like friends.”

Over the past few years, a wide range of activities have been held in this community on a daily basis to enrich the life of every elderly resident, such as Tai Chi as well as folk singing and dancing.  

 “The same as everybody else, old people also have plans and ideas about their life,” said director Wang.

Recently, Wang began to invite experts on traditional Chinese medicine and massage as well as music teachers to give lectures at the community center. More than 600 old people have already registered with these lectures so far.

As a staff who has been working at the Hutai community for over 10 years, Wang said that her goal is to help every elderly friend that she know enjoy his or her life.

Reporting by Li Zha and Li Hengqiang; trans-editing by Wang Jingzhong; photographs by Li Wenjun