Tsinghua University launches games competition for pensioners

China's first game design competition targeting the older generation has kicked off, aiming to promote communication among family members, experts said at the 2017 Tsinghua Aging Industry Forum held in Beijing from April 21 to 23.

There are various kids' toys on the market. However, few people care about entertainment activities for the elderly. Most of them live their later life depending on television and mahjong, said Zhou Yanmin, sponsor of the event and a professor at Tsinghua University.

"The event is expected to fight against aging, make later life more colorful and provide opportunities for family reunion", she said. "I hope participants can design the games or toys by themselves with love."

Li Guoping, director of the sports medicine association of the China Sport Science Society, said: "Cases showed interesting games help older people to recover from disease, rehabilitate, exercise and improve their sense of happiness."

The format of competition entries can be one of many types, such as toys, board games, cards, sports activities and computer games, specially designed for people from 55 to 85. Participants should submit their entries before Aug 31, 2017, according to Zhou.

Experts on chronic disease management, social work, rehabilitation and sports medicine will select 100 works through three rounds of evaluation, she said.

According to the 2010 population census, 28.3 percent of the whole population of China was over 50 years old and the figure is set to surpass 50 percent by 2050.

The demand for pension services is large in China due to the fast growth of a weaker, older population, such as the disabled and older people who live on their own, said an official from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China.

Cheng Haijun, professor from Beijing College of Social Administration, said the government released a series of policies to target those problems, including the pilot projects concerning old age allowance, home-based care for the aged and a combination of medical treatment and endowment.

Last year, 15 pilot regions were set up for long-term care, expecting to meet the demand of 40 million disabled or weak older people, he said.

According to the government report released this year, the future policies will focus on aspects including improving the quality of pension services, integrating the pension industry with tourism, culture, entertainment and fitness industries, and promoting the financing and investment in the pension industry, Cheng said.

During the 2017 Tsinghua Aging Industry Forum, one main forum and five sub-forums were held concerning the project's development, innovative management, investment and risk control, and public-private partnership in the pension industry.

More than 2,000 domestic and overseas participants from the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Singapore attended the event.

The research achievements of Tsinghua University were exhibited for the first time at the event, displaying the establishment of the discipline, research results around the industrial chain and the commercialization of the university's scientific research.

A total of 28 essays collected from the country were published after the event.

The annual forum was hosted by six schools of Tsinghua University and supported by Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning and Design Institute, dating back to 2010, while about 9,000 attendees participated.