On Saturday morning, one day before Chongyang Festival, which celebrates senior citizens in Chinese culture, I joined a group visit to a nursing home in the southern outskirts of Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

About 300 elderly people, in their late 70s to 95, live here, and 60 percent are unable to care for themselves.

Several "young" ones sang songs to welcome us, but most remained silent in their rooms. Two people share each room, and service is provided 24 hours a day.

The living conditions looked good, but some people seemed sullen in spite of our smiles and eagerness to chat.

The care workers were astonished to see so many people. I suspected that Chongyang Festival might be one of the few occasions when residents here receive so much attention.

When several young people in our group tried to offer an elderly man a shoulder massage, their technique was apparently not very good. One later whispered to another, "I don't know much about how to care for older people."

Li Guilan, head of the nursing home, talked about an elderly woman who was diagnosed with cancer and became unwell two years ago. Her children sent her here to die, rather than have her die at home, and they rarely visit, Li said.

"Her health has improved and she has survived, but she does not want to go home again," she said. "This example is not unique."

When we tried to talk to the woman, she burst into tears.

Another woman in a wheelchair looked to be in her 90s. She held a teddy bear in her arms, believing it to be a gift from her husband.

"Her husband passed away 10 years ago," a care worker told us. "The bear was given to her by a visitor a few years ago, and she has held on to it ever since."

I really wished she could rely more on her children than a toy.

Some of these elderly people were invited to have lunch at the Shangri-La Hotel as part of a charity program. As soon as they got on the bus, Li shouted: "Lift the curtain and see the outside!"

She talked about the tall buildings along the route. Some of the elderly people had not left the nursing home for seven years.

They kept murmuring, "I am so happy," and later chanted, "I want to go to Shanghai. I also want to go to Hong Kong."

It was a bittersweet experience.

"I wish every day could be Chongyang Festival," Li said with a sigh. "I'd like to tell every young person: 'Please remember that elderly people's today is your tomorrow.'"

Contact the writer at wangkaihao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 10/14/2013 page5)