The city of Taiyuan, Shanxi province began providing classes tailored to the elderly recently in a neighborhood, to teach them more about using a smartphone, surfing online, doing calligraphy and painting and has drawn in more than 200 students in just a month.

These free classes are organized by a nursing home in the Laojunying district and they provide many alternatives including chess, computer use, health care, dancing, psychology and bodybuilding, Monday to Friday, with a curriculum and schedule on the door. One of the most popular classes is the Wednesday health care class which gets more than 40 participants every time, where they learn things like scientific water intake and maintaining the digestive system.

Retired women learn computer use in the nursing home in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. [Photo/Shanxi Evening]

One of the participants, the 68 year-old Mr Liang, goes to classes actively, and says that, thanks to the classes he is now skillful with his smartphone and likes WeChat and video chatting.

According to Ma Tao, a neighborhood director, the teachers are from the district and are people with the skills, passion and spare time to take on the task and are willing to contribute and the next step is to provide more services and convenience for the elderly.