Beijing will establish 31 eldercare service centers in its rural areas this year. This is part of a new set of policies aiming to enhance eldercare services ahead of the Double Ninth Festival, a traditional festival in China that promotes respect and care for seniors.

According to the official policy document, the city will promote mutual-aid eldercare in rural areas, and establish a rural eldercare service system that includes township eldercare service centers and nursing homes, eldercare stations, and neighborhood mutual-aid spots.

The city will also encourage the development of at-home eldercare services, as well as chain operations and delivery services that provide meals to the elderly.

Zhenzhuquan township, the least densely populated township in Beijing with a high proportion of senior residents, has taken proactive and successful steps in this regard.

In May, it established a township meal service center that prepares meals in a central kitchen and delivers them through 16 distribution points to the elderly. Village volunteers also deliver meals to elderly residents with limited mobility, said Zhou Yin, first secretary of the township.

Zhou noted that each elderly person pays a highly affordable amount of 300 yuan (about US$42) per month. Compared to individually run village dining space for the elderly, the operating cost per person at the township center has decreased by 47.93% monthly.

Data from the municipal civil affairs authority shows that there are currently 326 eldercare institutions and 674 eldercare stations in Beijing's rural areas, along with a total of 807 neighborhood mutual-aid spots in operation.

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