Guidance funds

China, like many other countries, is undergoing a demographic shift. The country has nearly 300 million citizens aged 60 or above, official figures show. That number is expected to top 400 million by 2035 and approach 500 million by around 2050, at which point seniors will account for nearly 35 percent of the country's total population.

At present, about 90 percent of elderly people in China choose home care, about 7 percent rely on community care, and 3 percent live in institutional care, survey data from the National Health Commission shows.

In October last year, the State Council executive meeting reviewed and approved an action plan for actively developing elderly meal assistance services.

This year, it was included in the China National Aging Committee's list of practical matters for the elderly, with the central government allocating 300 million yuan in guidance funds to support the development of assistance services to provide meals for the elderly.

In September, an official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs said at a news conference that the Communist Party of China Central Committee attaches great importance to these assistance services.

Provinces and regions around the country have been exploring service models based on their own financial capabilities and actual circumstances.

Chuxin Canteen in Hujia village, Dalian, Liaoning province, is one of many new venues providing delicious, nutritious meals to the elderly. At lunchtime, the canteen is the most popular place among the elderly in the village.

The daily menu features both hot and cold dishes, including meat and vegetarian options, along with several choices of staple foods. Since it opened in July, the canteen has won praise from the village's seniors for being clean and convenient, and offering affordable and delicious meals.

"For most of the elderly in the village, their children work and live in urban areas. Their daily meals have become a major concern," said Hu Jin, the Party chief of the village in Shuangdaowan sub-district of Dalian's Lyushunkou district.

"The canteen has addressed this problem."