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Living among a group of friends, having a lot of spare time to work on their hobbies and millions of followers on social media－a group of retirees in Henan province's Xuchang are living the dream life yearned for by so many.

On the social media platform Douyin, the Chinese iteration of TikTok, these senior citizens are celebrities. Boasting more than 2 million followers, they appear in short videos posted under the user-name "Linshao" that offer an insight into an alternative retirement lifestyle.

The videos are like a sitcom set in a retirement home. The elderly stars can be seen solving math problems in unorthodox yet amusing ways, cheating at a board game for harmless fun, or having a conversation using up-to-date cyberspeak.

The account belongs to 25-year-old Fan Jinlin, owner of four elderly care homes in Xuchang. The senior celebrities are the residents of these care homes, and he started posting their daily shenanigans in 2020.

"At the time, I saw that the old people were often bickering and jesting with one another, which was quite amusing to watch. So I recorded some conversations and posted them, so that more people could see that life after retirement can be fun," Fan says.

Though his father was working in the elderly care industry, Fan studied broadcasting and hosting at university. However, when his grandmother was hospitalized after falling down the stairs, he decided to follow in his father's footsteps and open up his own care home.

"When I was caring for my grandma in hospital, I suddenly thought about opening up an unconventional retirement home, one that's full of life, so that she could be better cared for and wouldn't feel lonely, with all the residents keeping one another company," Fan says.

With this goal in mind, he studied to achieve the relevant certification, including geriatric care, psychological counseling and human resources management, and started interning at his father's elderly care home while he was at university.

After working full time at the care home for over a year following his graduation, he opened his own care home, called Fu Rui Yuan ("garden of luck and blessing"), and his grandmother was among the first of its residents.

"I feel that most of the existing retirement homes are very traditional; they provide living spaces for senior citizens, but lack psychological support for those facing the aging process," Fan says.

He sought to create a dynamic atmosphere. In terms of interior decoration, he removed all the elements that might evoke the sense of a hospital, while retaining all the accessibility facilities such as home automation and wireless calling system.

Apart from a professional service team, comprising dietitians, social workers, counselors and medical workers, Fan also formed a new media team made up of nine young members from Generation Z, whose primary responsibilities are to keep the elderly company and observe their individual interests.

The short videos published by Fan, some of which receive nearly 3 million likes, are inspired by the residents' everyday lives. He says that most of the videos are not scripted, and each one is filmed in no more than two takes.

The elderly may not understand the concept of social media and short videos, but once they learn that their children can see the videos, they are more than willing to participate in the filming.

Many viewers have left comments that express a desire to live in a care home like this when they grow old, and applaud Fan for his vision and effort in giving the elderly a loving home.

"Our society needs this kind of young person, with an entrepreneurial mindset and a genuine passion for public welfare," one of the top-ranked comments states.

Although he is now operating four care homes, he is working on a fifth, set to become "the first-ever care home for 'celebrity retirees'", he says. The care home will be free of charge, with the only requirement being that the residents be willing to shoot some short videos to help create revenue.

The inspiration, according to Fan, comes from an old lady who lives in one of his care homes. She was unwilling to leave after what was meant to be just a temporary stay, and knowing about the Douyin account, she inquired whether she could keep living there for a lower fee if she helped him make videos.

The new care home is now under refurbishment, with many areas being turned into activity rooms. Apart from the regular activities, including mahjong and cards, the care home will provide facilities in video gaming, film screening and doodling, as well as anything else the residents have expressed an interest in.

"Everything's fun and giggles in my videos, but it's really not easy to operate the care homes. We have been trying to keep down the costs, so that the residents can afford to live here. I believe that, by maintaining a good reputation, we will attract more senior citizens," Fan says.

"The new care home aims to allow the residents to live here free of charge, but equally comfortable and happy. I also hope to attract more young people to participate in the elderly healthcare industry."