Enrichment program reinvigorates senior citizens

In the village of Jianghou, many senior citizens are dancing, practicing Chinese calligraphy and reading books.

Mao Mingji, 68, enjoys attending health-care classes and doing sports.

“I feel so energetic these days,” she said. “I am healthier than before.”

The village is located in Shaxian County in southeast China’s Fujian Province. Shaxian is known for delicacies such as dumplings, rice noodles and soup steamed with Chinese herbs.

But three years ago, the village presented a completely different picture.

Most elderly people felt bored and did not know what to do with themselves, Mao says.

In 2017, county officials began piloting a senior school program in Shaxian, bringing elderly people together to study, dine and keep one another company and enriching the lives of those in the community.

So far, Shaxian has established 40 senior schools in 12 villages and townships, benefiting more than 10,000 senior citizens, according to official figures.

“The senior school program has proven to be an effective way to enrich the lives of empty nesters,” said county official Yang Xingzhong.

In Shaxian, there are many empty nesters due to young people leaving their rural hometowns to seek opportunities in urban areas, many working at restaurants selling renowned Shaxian delicacies.

According to figures released by the Shaxian Delicacies Industry Development Center, there are close to 88,000 Shaxian delicacies restaurants in the country, 32,000 of which are owned by people from Shaxian.

Feeling empty and bored, many empty nesters spent their days rambling, drinking or even gambling.

“The program helps them walk out of the shadows of loneliness,” said Chen Yi’an, founder of the Fujian Association for Lifelong Education for All.