Senior homes falling short on price and number

Qian Liqun, 76, a famous scholar of literature at Peking University, shocked many of his contemporaries after he sold his apartment in Beijing and moved to a private home for the elderly in the suburbs so he could live quietely and spend more time writing.

Some marvel at the fact that Qian and his wife could afford to pay 20,000 yuan ($3,120) a month for a room at the high-end home. Even more are prompted to ponder what to do when their parents or they retire.

In China, looking after aged parents is always seen as a necessary virtue. In fact, the Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Elderly places the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the younger generation.