Category: aging

aging, Life

Retired but Not Retiring: China’s Solo Seniors Find New Grooves in Life


SHANGHAI — Yang Yanhua, 61, is one of the estimated 300,000 retirees living alone in Shanghai. She may be alone, but she is not lonely. In a sense, she is a role model for older people who are determined to find fulfillment on their own. “What I fear the most is sitting at home doing nothing,” she tells Sixth Tone. “I don’t find retirement scary as long … Continue reading Retired but Not Retiring: China’s Solo Seniors Find New Grooves in Life

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aging

China’s Solution for a Growing Senior Care Crisis: Millions of Robots


SHANGHAI — Inside a senior care center in downtown Shanghai, Gao Hongjun is busy preparing the day’s entertainment: a singing robot named Duobao, or “many treasures.” The machine — a squat white companion robot — often performs for the elderly residents, usually rousing revolutionary songs from the Mao era. The seniors love it, Gao says, and it also gives the staff a much-needed break. “As … Continue reading China’s Solution for a Growing Senior Care Crisis: Millions of Robots

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aging

How an Army of Elderly Influencers Took Over China’s Instagram


JIANGSU, East China — At a high-end dim sum restaurant in downtown Nanjing, Li Yaozhu is helping her 83-year-old mother shoot her latest viral video. Sitting on a sofa by the window, Li films her mother as she ties her Hermes silk scarf in an elegant bow. Later, she’ll edit the footage and post it to her feed on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social app. Li, … Continue reading How an Army of Elderly Influencers Took Over China’s Instagram

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aging, Travel

As China’s Economy Stutters, the Elderly Are Emerging as Big Spenders


Zheng Peijun hasn’t let China’s “zero-COVID” restrictions stop her from having a good time.  Before the pandemic, the 60-year-old used to go on vacations all over the world: to the United States, Southeast Asia, and a dozen different European countries. This year, she’s had to stay within China, but she’s traveling even more than before. This week, she’s spending the National Day holiday hiking with … Continue reading As China’s Economy Stutters, the Elderly Are Emerging as Big Spenders

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aging

In ‘Zero-COVID’ China, the Elderly Are Becoming Ever More Marginalized


SHANGHAI — For years, Gu Hong has enjoyed visiting the local deli near her home. Whenever the 73-year-old didn’t feel like cooking, she’d wander down the street to buy a steaming plate of sweet-and-sour ribs. Then Shanghai went into lockdown, and everything changed. When Gu returned to the deli in June, she found herself barred from entering. “The staff said I had to scan the … Continue reading In ‘Zero-COVID’ China, the Elderly Are Becoming Ever More Marginalized

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