Reporters on a recent fact-finding tour visited the Xiangyu Ciai Senior Care Center in Xiamen to examine its operational framework. The facility's layout is orderly, with clearly demarcated zones for dining, accommodation, health management, and recreation, all maintained to high cleanliness standards.
Physician Liu Jie at the center explained that residents can access specialized gym equipment, art classes, chess groups, and music clubs based on their needs. "We use each resident's health profile to guide dietary choices and prescribe tailored rehabilitation exercises, with professional supervision for every activity," she said.
83-year-old Xie Yuzhu, a five-year resident, demonstrated her smart meal card, which also functions as a locator and safety alert device. "Once, when I was out dining with family for too long, I received a reminder to return soon," she noted.
Xiamen Xiangyu Group Co Ltd developed the Ciai facility as a premium retirement community, designated as a livelihood project for both the province and city. Operating as a non-profit demonstration site backed by state-owned enterprise investment, it integrates institutional care, community services, home adaptations, cultural enrichment, wellness management, and traditional Chinese medicine into a cohesive model.
Director Xue Guoyong highlighted partnerships with major hospitals, including Xiamen Humanity Hospital, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Xiamen Branch, and Xiamen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, to offer on-site rehabilitation for stroke, Parkinson's disease, and post-fracture recovery. The center caters to seniors with varying levels of independence, from fully self-sufficient to those requiring intensive care for cognitive or physical impairments.
The facility exemplifies Xiamen's broader strategy as a national pilot for integrated basic elderly care services. Bai Jinkun, a senior official at Xiamen's Civil Affairs Bureau, outlined a framework focused on security, affordability, and quality, coordinating home, community, and institutional care while blending medical and wellness services.
The city has developed a comprehensive smart elderly care network connecting provincial and national agencies with over ten municipal departments, linking service providers, community hubs, and medical institutions. A four-tier service network spanning city, district, town, and village levels enables resource sharing and coordinated oversight.
Data infrastructure includes a database covering 532,000 registered senior citizens, 1,100 service facilities, and 4,800 care workers. Officials noted these efforts consolidate fragmented resources, driving innovations like one-touch emergency alerts and automated safety monitoring to address risks in home care. A unified meal subsidy platform allows seniors to use smart verification for instant discounts at any participating dining location.
By the end of 2025, Xiamen achieved full coverage of comprehensive elderly care services at the town level, with 25 nursing beds per 1,000 seniors. Bai stated that future plans focus on policy innovation, smart platforms, diverse service supply, and quality enhancement, while expanding consumption scenarios in meal services, products, medical care, and cultural tourism to further elevate the region's senior care ecosystem.