Chongqing expands canteens for seniors

With the Chinese population getting older, the government in Chongqing has launched a catering program to meet the demands of seniors. It will build or improve 500 canteens around the city this year.

Take the Minzhucun community canteen in the city's Jiulongpo district for example: Its 500-square-meter canteen can accommodate more than 100 people. It provides set meals for 10 yuan ($1.27) and a buffet of more than 20 types of dishes for 18 yuan. There are five catering windows offering 24-hour noodles, dumplings, braised pork, porridge and hamburgers.

According to the municipal civil affairs bureau, which launched the program, the goal is that every district or county in the city will have a senior canteen by August, and some 500 senior canteens will be built or improved by the end of this year.

Currently, 41 districts and counties in the city have built and operated community or senior canteens, providing meal assistance for the elderly.

As of the end of 2022, China's population above age 60 had reached 280 million, accounting for 19.8 percent of the total, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.