Arguably the most economically energetic country in the world today, China is also coping with an ageing society. According to the 2000 national census, the percentage of the country's total population over the age of 60 was 10.32 per cent. Defiant of any concerns about being a burden on society, more and more elderly Chinese are actively participating in all kinds of social activities and attempting to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This report by China Daily staffers YU NAN and CHEN ZHIYONG examines the issues concerned with the life of the aged when people has just celebrated the Double Ninth Day (the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar year, which fell on Saturday this year), the day for delivering thanks and respect to the aged.

efore young people rush onto the bustling streets to begin a busy working day, Yan Mei, 61, a retired middle school teacher, has already finished her regular morning exercises in a park near her home in northern Beijing.

Over 1,000 fellow seniors are her companions, exercising in the park early every morning, doing everything from jogging, tai chi, and gentle calisthenics to singing and dancing.

Yan's morning routine is gentle calisthenics and jogging. She chats with neighbours while enjoying the tasteful ballroom dancing.

"Now I feel even more energetic, both physically and mentally, than when I was at work," Yan said.

Similar scenes are common in most urban parks across China.

Far from isolating themselves from society after retirement or passively waiting for care, many elderly Chinese, especially those in cities, are getting themselves organized to enrich their lives, according to Wu Cangping, a well-known gerontologist at Renmin University of China.

"They are becoming more positive in improving their life quality now," Wu said.

He predicts that the percentage of China's total population over the age of 60 will steadily increase, to 12.06 per cent by 2010, 15.90 per cent by 2020, and 27.88 per cent by 2050.

"Longer life does not necessarily mean improved quality of life for the elderly, so promoting healthy lifestyles becomes more important," said Wu.

It could also greatly alleviate the burden on both society and the family, he added.

Mental needs

Enhanced awareness of psychology, diet, and exercise makes a healthy lifestyle in old age possible, according to Wu.

"Physical health used to be the most pressing issue for the elderly, while mental health needs were widely neglected," he said.

But the elderly themselves now realize the importance of mental health. In a study conducted last year by the Department of Psychology at Peking University, over half of the elderly surveyed responded that they thought their longevity was determined more by their mental condition than physical health..

Their top mental needs include communicating with people, receiving care from their own children and having places for gathering, chatting and playing. A stable marriage and the care and companionship of a spouse also help satisfy their mental needs.

Yan, the teacher, said it was common for some people to feel a loss when retiring but an active and timely adjustment was needed. "It's very important to have a moderate emotion and an optimistic attitude towards life, which is prerequisite for a healthy body," she said.

Zhang Liren, 75, who suffers from chronic high blood pressure, is an active member of the New Fourth Army Chorus. The chorus, formed by over 100 retired soldiers and their children, is one of the largest among the hundreds of senior choirs in Beijing. They rehearse for three hours every Monday afternoon, and the oldest member is 86-year-old Tong Shumin.

"When I am singing, I forget all about my health problems. I feel vivacious and powerful," Zhang said.

The chorus is like a second family for many of the elderly members, who freely share their troubles and joys.

"To chat with people of a similar age is more relaxing than with young people because the former have more patience and won't complain to me about being 'too gossipy'," she said.

Diverse choices

As their lives have improved, the elderly in urban centres now have a wider range of choices to alleviate their mental strains. For example, the development of the Internet offers almost infinite space and many more ways for the elderly to communicate with each other and the world.

Although the number of Internet users over the age of 60 remains small, www.cnolder.com is one of the most popular websites for the aged in China, offering health information, dietary advice, message boards and chat rooms for senior citizens around the country.

Since the website was established last February, about 29,000 elderly people have left messages there.

Still, work and sports remain the most popular diversions for older Chinese.

Known as a master player in his community, Yu Tian, 61, plays table tennis from 7 am to 10 am every morning with his elderly neighbours. After a noon break to read the newspapers, practise calligraphy or take a nap, he voluntarily teaches the children in the community to play table tennis from 3 pm to 5 pm. He then spends the evening watching TV or playing poker and Chinese chess with his old friends.

Over the week-long National Day holiday, Yu went with his wife on a tour of Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai.

"It's a good time for us to put all our hearts into enjoying life," he said.

But not every one wants to totally join in the easy life. Zhong Xue'an, 65, a senior technician, established a company with several friends in Beijing after he retired from a big State-owned company. "So far the business is running very smoothly and keeps expanding," he said.

"I will continue to work for five more years until I am 70," said Zhong. He plans to learn driving as soon as possible so he can go travelling with his wife.

Engaging in more work allows the elderly to have better self esteem, raises their sense of identity, and alleviates their loneliness and depression, said Tao Liqun, a research fellow of the social security research office with the Old Age Committee.

"But the opening for elderly people in the job market is still narrow," said Tao.

Only a small number of retired senior citizens, most of them professors or technicians, manage to find re-employment, while the majority engage themselves in volunteer work or social activities, he said.

In Beijing and many other cities, the elderly often assist the police with traffic control.

"Getting more old people involved in social activities should be more strongly advocated," said Tao.

Medical education

Although optimistic life attitude helps, proper exercise and the promotion of basic health knowledge among seniors is also indispensable, experts say.

Owing to a high intake of meat, vascular and cerebral diseases such as hypertension and coronary heart disease have increased among seniors at an alarming rate, according to Zhang Guoxi of the geriatric research institute at Xiyuan Hospital.

During his research and investigation, Zhang found many elderly Chinese lack basic health protection knowledge.

"Some elderly people are perfectly healthy, but they take a nutritional supplement every day," he said. "It is just like adjusting an accurate clock constantly."

Other elderly people are afraid of taking medication even though they are seriously ill.

"For example, diabetic patients feel that dieting alone is enough to control the disease and taking medicine can only make them dependent on it. So their blood sugar remains at a high level and one day they suddenly find that their vision is blurred or their kidneys fail to function," Zhang said.

Major hospitals in Beijing have started healthcare lectures for the elderly living in nearby communities. In Xiyuan Hospital, Zhang has been delivering health education for almost two years. Each week he puts out notices in the communities, telling what topics he is going to cover. On Wednesday mornings elderly people, most of them retired, gather in the auditorium of the hospital. Some of them even change three buses and spend three hours to come to Zhang's two-hour lectures.

"It was a pity that I didn't come earlier to the lecture," said a 65-year-old man who came to a lecture on heart disease, in which Zhang said that the development of the disease was closely related to the patients' psychological state.

"That might be exactly my case. I have an irritable temper, often feeling pressing. My heart disease seems to have something to do with that," said the elderly man, who requested anonymity.

"I've learned a lot here about how to protect my heart by controlling my temper, doing proper exercise in accordance with taking the medicine," he said.

At present the health education is still mainly available for the elderly people living near the hospital, Zhang said, adding that more doctors are needed to step out of the hospitals and get more involved in the neighbouring communities.

(China Daily 10/06/2003 page9)