21st November 2023 – (Hong Kong) Two young women from mainland China have recently garnered attention for their unique experience living in a retirement home. Despite initial resistance to the idea, they found themselves not only satisfied with the facilities but also thoroughly enjoying their time there.
The 22-year-old university student from Hubei, who is also known as a popular social media influencer on the platform Xiaohongshu, often shares her daily life through videos. Recently, she documented a special experience by bringing a friend along to live in a retirement home and understand what it feels like to be elderly.
Upon their arrival at the retirement home, the young women were impressed by the facilities. The rooms were clean, bright, and featured two comfortable beds. Each room also had a private bathroom, which was well-maintained. The highlight for the young women was the floor-to-ceiling windows that provided ample sunlight and a pleasant view, which excited them.
The university student shared a detailed account of their experience living in the retirement home. At first, the staff assumed they were there on behalf of their elderly relatives and even asked about the age of the supposed elderly person. The young women jokingly replied that they were just a few decades away from being 60 years old. The staff chuckled and mentioned that if they stayed for a long time, they could receive long-term stay discounts.
Apart from the modern and well-equipped facilities, the retirement home offered excellent service. Breakfast was delivered to their room in the morning, and wake-up calls were provided. The staff, including some young and attractive men, caught the attention of the young women. The meals consisted of four dishes and a soup, which the young women praised as tasting better than the food at their homes or university dormitory. The retirement home also offered various recreational activities, such as playing mahjong, karaoke, dancing, and painting, catering to different interests.
Towards the end of the video, the young women revealed that the monthly cost of staying at the retirement home was approximately 3,000 to 4,000 Chinese yuan. They considered it a “heavenly life” with all-inclusive accommodation and handsome men attending to them daily, expressing their reluctance to return home. The video of their experience in the retirement home impressed netizens, receiving over 20,000 likes within a few days. Some internet users sighed that living in a retirement home offered better value for money compared to renting a house or staying in a hotel, expressing their interest in such an arrangement. However, some netizens questioned the authenticity of the video, suggesting that a retirement home of this quality should have a higher price, and they also expressed concerns about the restricted mobility and potential feeling of being trapped for long-term residents due to access control measures in retirement homes.