As soon as Beijing resident Meng Qingli retired three years ago, she immediately started to pursue her long-delayed childhood dream.

"I have loved singing and dancing since I was young. But my favorite has always been the Chinese Zither, so I bought myself one after retiring and learned it at a university for the elderly." 

Meng also takes classes in singing, dancing, painting and calligraphy at the university for the elderly and is just one of many other elderly Chinese who acquire new skills that enrich their retired life.   

As the world's most populous country, China's aging population is growing. The number of Chinese citizens aged 60 or above reached 241 million by the end of 2017, representing 17.3 percent of the country's total population.

According to the United Nations, China is aging more rapidly than almost any country in recent history. More focus needs to be placed on providing economic security, safety and sound quality of life for the growing number of senior citizens, and thus universities for the elderly were born.  

These universities allow senior citizens to learn new skills and knowledge to reach a higher standard of health and emotional well-being. "I think I am leading a fulfilling life since I have lots of things to do every day," said Meng. In her spare time, she also goes traveling with her family. 

Enhancing the community health services catering to senior citizens is another essential part of dealing with the aging problem in China. The routine services, such as standard health checks and pharmaceutical services, provided by community health centers bring greater convenience to the elderly like Meng who has common geriatric diseases. In 2015, more than 34,000 similar community health clinics provided essential health services to 706 million people in China.

"I am fortunate to be living in such a good era and to be surrounded by love," said Meng.