A recent visit to the Xiamen Xiangyu Ci'ai Elderly Care Center offered a close look at the city's innovative approach to senior living. The facility is neatly organized with distinct functional zones, featuring spotless and well-equipped areas for dining, accommodation, health management, and recreational activities. Liu Jie, a physician at the center, explained that beyond daily meals, residents can use a gym with specialized equipment tailored to their needs or participate in interest groups such as painting, chess, and music. "We use each resident's health profile to guide them on proper nutrition and rehabilitation exercises, with every activity supervised by professionals," she noted.
Eighty-three-year-old Zhu Yu Xie, a resident of five years, demonstrated the smart card system that serves as both a meal pass and a safety tool. "Once, when I stayed out longer than usual dining with my family, I received a reminder suggesting it was time to head back," she said. The center, developed by Xiamen Xiangyu Group Co., operates as a non-profit care model supported by the provincial and municipal governments. It integrates institutional care, community services, home-based aging support, cultural activities, health management, and traditional Chinese medicine, creating a unique approach that blends medical care, education, and elderly services while connecting facilities, families, and communities.
The center collaborates with top medical institutions like Xiamen Hong'ai Hospital, Fudan University-affiliated Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen Branch, and Xiamen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital to offer on-site rehabilitation for stroke, Parkinson's disease, and post-fracture recovery. According to Director Xue Guoyong, the services cater to seniors with varying needs, from independent living to full-time care for those with cognitive or physical impairments.
This facility exemplifies Xiamen's broader efforts as a national pilot city for integrated elderly care services. Bai Jinkun, a senior official at the Xiamen Civil Affairs Bureau, explained that the city has built a comprehensive framework linking home, community, and institutional care. A key achievement is the development of a "smart elderly care network" that connects government departments, care facilities, neighborhood service points, and medical providers. The city has also established a four-tier service network spanning municipal, district, town, and village levels, ensuring equal access to resources and coordinated supervision across urban and rural areas. A robust database now covers 532,000 registered seniors, over 1,100 care facilities, and more than 4,800 service personnel.
These initiatives are driving innovation in elderly care. Smart applications such as one-touch emergency alerts and automatic alarm systems address challenges like delayed responses to at-home risks. A municipal meal subsidy platform allows seniors to verify their identity digitally and receive discounts at any participating dining location. By the end of 2025, Xiamen had achieved full coverage of comprehensive care institutions at the town and street level, with 25 nursing beds available per 1,000 seniors.
Looking ahead, the city aims to accelerate the development of a premium, age-friendly care system through policy innovation, smart platforms, and diversified services. "We will also cultivate new consumption scenarios in meal services, assistive products, medical care, and senior tourism to expand and improve the quality of care offerings," Bai added.