"The local government will invest 64 million yuan (US$7.7 million) this year to build more facilities for the elderly in urban and rural areas," said Dong Xianli, an official with the city's civil affairs administration. The project will involve the construction of 120 buildings with 200 to 600 square metres of floor space for pensioners in urban areas this year. A number of facilities for recreational and sports activities will also be installed.

The local government will build 37 blocks of flats for the elderly in rural areas and renovate existing country apartments, Dong said. Xi'an has about 700,000 people over the age of 60, which equates to 11 per cent of its total population. However, facilities for senior citizens are not up to scratch and there were just 60 apartment houses with some 5,000 beds for old people before 2000, the official said.

There were not enough recreational facilities for urban pensioners which meant many faced a choice between playing mah-jong or looking after their grandchildren to fill their leisure time.

In rural areas, the aged group's living conditions were even worse. They had to live with their children who had no time to look after them.

Civic leaders in Xi'an have tried to improve their living conditions but progress has been slow due to a lack of money.

Entering the 21st century - considered to be the century of the elderly - the local government started the Starlight project last year, which paid more attention to living conditions for the aged in Xi'an.

The local government will guarantee funding for the project by issuing lottery tickets and courting private investors, the official said.

The local government sold 157 million yuan (US$18.92 million) of welfare lottery tickets for the project, and officials at district and county level will also invest in the project, the official said.

(China Daiy March 18, 2002)