China's aging population is leading to a transformative trend in retirement living: cross-city retirement. In Yanjiao, a senior health and care center in Hebei Province, over 5,000 elderly residents have embraced this new lifestyle, with 95 percent hailing from Beijing. These seniors enjoy one-bedroom apartments of about 60 square meters, costing around 8,000 yuan per month—approximately one-third cheaper than similar facilities in Beijing.
As major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou experience rapid aging, many elderly residents are relocating to neighboring cities that offer better living conditions and lower costs. Beijing, one of the fastest-aging cities in the country, has 22.6 percent of its population aged 60 and above. The city faces challenges such as outdated neighborhoods, limited senior care facilities, and scarce urban land, making access to affordable and quality senior care difficult.
To address these issues, a pilot program for coordinated senior care services was launched in 2016 between Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. In March this year, civil affairs departments of the three regions introduced a plan to enhance collaboration, extending Beijing's high-quality senior care and healthcare resources to Tianjin and Hebei. Through this initiative, seniors from Beijing's Xicheng District living in Tianjin or Hebei receive a monthly subsidy of 600 yuan for out-of-town senior care. Currently, over 120,000 elderly residents from Beijing and Tianjin are benefiting from senior care services in Hebei.
\"We cater primarily to seniors from Beijing. They have significant cultural needs. Therefore, we have set up a senior university, gym, and swimming pool, along with nurse stations staffed with professional doctors and nurses on each floor,\" said Li Haiyan, head of the senior care institution.
The Yangtze River Delta region is also witnessing a rise in cross-city retirement, with many elderly opting for a \"vacation-style retirement,\" traveling and living in different places based on the season. Shanghai, a major business center, ranks highly in aging, with seniors aged 60 and above making up 36.8 percent of its population.
Since 2018, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui have been piloting regional senior care integration, optimizing resources across a larger area. Huzhou, a city in Zhejiang Province's Yangtze River Delta, has become a popular destination thanks to its convenient transportation and vibrant health and tourism industry. In recent years, Huzhou has established several elderly care communities, attracting seniors from cities like Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou for both short-term stays and long-term residence.
Currently, the region is planning and building a variety of health and tourism institutions. To meet the needs of elderly individuals in poor health who require professional care, 108 senior care institutions with nearly 50,000 beds in about 40 cities across Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui are now open to seniors from the delta region.
\"With the accelerated aging process in China, the elderly have an increasing ability and willingness to pay for senior care. Their demands for personalized and diverse services are also growing. It is crucial to help seniors transition from survival-based retirement to enjoyment and participation-based retirement,\" said Xu Qihua, president of the Shanghai Senior Care Service Industry Association.
Reference(s):
New trends: China's silver generation embraces cross-city retirement
cgtn.com
