More diversity wanted in 'gray' services

LANZHOU－For more than two years, a homemade detox foot bath has been Wang Xuefeng's relaxing and soothing bedtime ritual.

Boiling enough water to cover his feet in an electric foot basin, the 71-year-old retiree then deftly steeps a bag of Chinese medicine into the basin for several minutes before soaking his feet in it for about half an hour.

Working in cold and high altitude regions during his younger days has left Wang with arthritis. To improve his health, Wang's granddaughter bought him the foot basin in 2018 when he started doing foot soaks to "relieve pain and fatigue".

China started becoming a graying society at the turn of the century, with the number of elderly people and their proportion in the total population continuing to grow.

From 2000 to 2018, the population age 60 and older increased from 126 million to 249 million, and the proportion of the elderly population in the total population increased from 10.2 to 17.9 percent, according to a report released last year by Peking Union Medical College and the Chinese Aging Well Association.

With spare time and money, more Chinese seniors are paying attention to ways to retain their health.

Foot soaks, along with traditional activities such as walking and square dancing, have been in vogue among China's graying population.

"The distribution of passenger flow in foot bath shops has changed significantly in recent years," said He Yong, chairman of Bigfeet Ancestor, a company focusing on foot care in Lanzhou, capital of Northwest China's Gansu province.

"The market used to be dominated by the middle-aged group, but now foot soaks have become a popular choice for more elderly people, especially in the afternoon," He said.

Chinese seniors have diverse and higher-level consumption needs nowadays. To tap the market, He's company organizes health lectures and offers discounts to elderly customers. He also cooperates with nursing homes, providing free or discounted pedicures and footbath services.

Gao Jin'e spends about 6 percent of her 5,000 yuan ($717) pension every month on footbaths. The 70-year-old usually does foot spas with her friends while watching movies.

"The lives of the elderly can also be colorful, and we should love ourselves more," she said.

In November, China unveiled a medium-to long-term plan to respond proactively to population aging, requiring integrated development of the service industry for the aged.

It highlights that healthcare, health tourism, recreational activities and other services should be continuously provided to meet the needs of the elderly.

"If healthcare services can be cheaper with a wider variety, I think more elderly people will join us," Gao said.