YOUNG AT HEART: An elderly tour group gets ready to set sail from Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. Groups like this are rising in popularity as China's elderly take to the roads in search of adventure after retiring (CFP)

The rich retired life and splendid journey of Zhang and Wang are admired by many in the elderly community. In fact, improved living standards and enhanced social security allow more Chinese senior citizens to embark on their own adventures.

According to official statistics, the population over the age of 60 in China reached 180 million in 2011, more than 13 percent of the population, signifying that China has become an aging society.

In general, retired people have more time to spend with families or engage in leisurely pursuits. And traveling is a good way to relax. Elderly tourists, including individual travels and packaged tours, account for 30 percent of all tourists in China. The huge demand of the elderly has driven the growth of the elderly tourism market in recent years.

In addition to domestic tours, an increasing number of the Chinese people go abroad every year. Official statistics published by the National Tourism Administration show that China is now the largest tourist source country in Asia. The number of the Chinese people who travelled abroad in 2010 reached 57.38 million.

But most elderly tourists choose package tours offered by travel agencies rather than travel by themselves.

"Although Zhang and Wang are quite special among so many retired couples, their story reflects the courage of senior citizens and overturns the traditional idea about retired life," said Hu Shihai, General Manager of the Golden Fortune Travel Agency. "Tourism among retired people in the Chinese market is booming now."

The Chinese senior citizens usually undertake more family responsibilities due to traditional lifestyle and mindset. Even at the pension age they still try to save money for their children and grandchildren. Consequently, staying at home and taking care of the next generation is a common choice for most Chinese senior citizens.

"But now, the elderly are willing to spend money in traveling both at home and abroad instead of saving for children," said Shen Yi, Manager of the Europe and North America Business Department at the Beijing Youth Travel Service Co. Ltd.

"People have realized that traveling is conducive to retired people's health and helps promote harmonious family relations," Shen said.

Worry remains

However, some problems still hinder retired people from and traveling. Unlike young people, the safety of the elderly tourists is a big problem.

When traveling in Peru, Wang was struck with a high fever of 40 degrees Centigrade. Thanks to the insurance service, she received medical treatment in time. After this, Zhang and Wang wrote wills before traveling.

Therefore, many young people hesitate to let their parents go out into the world alone.

"Indeed, the necessary support from their family members, particularly their children, is very important," Shen said. "The package tours offered by travel agencies instead of independent hike are better for retired people."

Another problem is money. Generally speaking, Chinese senior citizens are conservative in their spending habits. Furthermore, a large number of the elderly living in vast rural areas of China can't enjoy the same free and easy life as Zhang and Wang due to the imbalanced economic development between cities and countryside.

In spite of many challenges, many certainly wish their retired parents, who have devoted themselves to families and careers, could have easy and happy years of comfort. Along with the improvement of social and economic conditions in China, the group of elderly tourists is expected to expand.

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