Currently the old people from China's northern city Dalian choose to stay in the southern Hainan Island in winter, while the elders from Guangdong like to look at the coastal scenes in summer. They all live in the senior citizens boarding houses in order to save the traveling expenses. This summer has seen more senior citizens in holiday resorts.
Well-known scenic spots surely have caught more attention among senior citizens. Some 30 percent of old residents in Wuxi's rest homes are from other parts of the country. Senior citizens in Tianjin even stay in Huangshan Mountain, Lushan Mountain and Guilin in summer. In the ecological reserve of Anji, Zhejiang Province, several boarding houses have been built as "habitats" for senior citizens from Shanghai.
When entering the rest homes or recreation centers for the aged, one can hear various dialects spoken there. In this summer, most rest homes in Dalian are almost full because many senior citizens from other places stay there.
An old couple from Wuhan is often seen swimming in Dalian's coastal waters. They came here in last June, planning to leave in September. In order to see the sea everyday, they booked a coastal rest home in Dalian a year ago.
Although Dalian is a holiday resort, many senior citizens don't think they are there to ehjoy summer vacations. They seldom stay in hotels, but spend 1,000 yuan (US$125) for accommodation in rest homes or service center for the aged. They get not only board and lodging, but also simple medical care and servants. Moreover, they can also meet many elderly friends there.
(China News Service August 30, 2006)
