Elderly and medical care help Tianjin rank among Asia's 50 happiest cities, says NPC deputy

Tianjin's ranking among the top 50 happiest cities in Asia showcases the city's achievements in livelihood development in various fields, such as elderly care and medical care, said Zhang Boli, a deputy to the National People's Congress and the honorary president of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, during an interview at the ongoing two sessions.

Zhang said the "2025-2026 Top 50 Happiest Cities in Asia", published by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, ranks Tianjin 10th on the list.

In elderly care services, according to data from the Tianjin Civil Affairs Bureau in January, the city has established over 1,800 elder canteens, serving nearly 16 million people.

Meanwhile, the construction has been completed on 10 smart elderly care service complexes. A facility in the Fuminlu Community Health Service Center in Tianjin's Hedong district opened last year.

 A 70-year-old woman surnamed Zhang has exercised at the gym for seven weeks. She said: "During a checkup at the community hospital last month, doctors identified me as overweight. They recommended this public welfare program, and, after a thorough assessment, doctors advised baduanjin (a traditional Chinese exercise) and other healthy exercises based on my condition, while helping me reduce fats from my diet. After about a month of effort, I've lost 5 kilograms, finally achieving a normal weight range."

Deputy Zhang added that Tianjin is continuously striving to provide older people with more intelligent and convenient elderly care experiences.

In the field of health, Zhang said, Tianjin has consistently prioritized traditional Chinese medicine work, established renowned doctor clinics in multiple hospitals, and provided traditional Chinese medicine interventions for health issues affecting the elderly and children.

As of last year, Tianjin had basically established a "15-minute traditional Chinese medicine health circle", the deputy said. "This year, Tianjin will continue to make every effort to deliver practical benefits for the people."

Ma Qiran contributed to this story.