STORY: Chinese retirees embrace "migratory-bird" lifestyle, boosting silver economy
SHOOTING DATE: July 12, 2024
DATELINE: July 20, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:43
LOCATION: KUNMING, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of elderly people in China
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): PENG GE, Retiree from Changsha in Hunan Province
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): WANG JIANXIN, Director, Yunnan Silver Health Industry Development Association
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LUAN GUIXIANG, Sanhe Travel Agency, Ji'an City, Jilin Province
5. various of elderly people in China

STORYLINE:
         
As a new generation of healthy, vigorous and richer Chinese adults enter retirement age, a growing number of old-age "migratory birds" have injected new momentum into the silver economy.

Official data shows that China was home to 297 million people aged 60 and above by the end of 2023, accounting for 21.1 percent of the country's total population. 

At an elderly home in Qujing, Yunnan Province, all 100 rooms are fully booked. 

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): PENG GE, Retiree from Changsha in Hunan Province
"It's quite hot in Changsha. It's 37 or 38 degrees Celsius now. We prefer cool climate, so we came here to escape the heat. This place is above 1,800 meters above sea level, which is very agreeable. The facilities here are great and very complete, with excellent resources. They have a strong awareness of serving the elderly well and constantly ask how to prepare the food to suit our tastes."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): WANG JIANXIN, Director, Yunnan Silver Health Industry Development Association 
The number of elderly people is increasing significantly, especially those born in the 1950s and 1960s who are gradually retiring. A higher proportion of these elderly individuals are active and their needs in terms of food, clothing, housing, transportation, and entertainment are quite different from those of the older generations. In addition to the usual daily living needs, they may have new and diverse interests, such as wellness tourism, which has become a new trend in recent years.

Thousands of kilometers away, in Jilin Province in northeastern China, the cool temperatures and excellent ecological environment make it a popular destination for tourists seeking relief from the summer heat. 

This has attracted many "silver-haired" visitors who come here to relax and enjoy a refreshing, leisurely lifestyle.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LUAN GUIXIANG, Sanhe Travel Agency, Ji'an City, Jilin Province
"In June, our agency welcomed nearly 3,000 visitors from across the country, with over 50% of them being elderly people. As living standards have improved, more elderly individuals are eager to travel and explore.
                            
Against the backdrop of a rapidly aging society, China released a guideline earlier this year to strengthen the silver economy.

The current scale of China's silver economy is estimated at about 7 trillion yuan (about 982 billion U.S. dollars) and it is expected to reach about 30 trillion yuan by 2035.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kunming, China.
(XHTV)