'Silver surfers' ride a wave of modernity

Smartphone classes for seniors in Beijing have resulted in the elderly becoming increasingly tech-savvy and using the mobile internet and instant-messaging apps to stay in contact with family and friends, as Peng Yining reports.

On the 12.7-centimeter screen of her Chinese-made smartphone, Zhao Meixiang saw a former colleague for the first time since she retired more than 10 years ago.

"You have gray hair!" exclaimed the 66-year-old former employee of a domestic service company in Beijing. "Yes, and you have gray hair too," replied the woman on the other end of the video call, prompting delighted laughter and a surge of long-dormant memories.