A community canteen in Nanbeiguan village of Lanzhou, Gansu province, serves more than 170 older people daily, offering hot meals, health checks, haircuts, and a place to socialize. Volunteers also deliver food to those unable to visit.
"Many younger adults have left to work elsewhere, so it is common for older people to live alone," said Chen Guanghong, the village Party chief. "The canteen has eased the burden on older residents and given their children greater peace of mind while working away from home."
Some older residents also bring homegrown vegetables to help with meal preparation. For Shen Qingtiao, a villager who often arrives in the morning to help sort vegetables, the canteen offers more than just food.
"It is a lively, welcoming place where older people can gather, enjoy the sunshine, chat over meals, and meet people from neighboring villages," she said.
Gansu now has 900 village-level mutual-aid centers for seniors, with another 300 under construction. The province plans to expand services beyond meals to include health monitoring, chronic disease follow-ups, and companionship to strengthen community-based elderly care in rural areas.
Wu Yuexuan contributed to the story.
