![[Seniors' China Tour Logo]](cstlogo.gif)
Click below to learn more about ...
Join us to find out what is
"culture of filial piety" in China
"The only affordable tour of China focusing on seniors' interests.
Through personal first-hand interaction, learn about Chinese culture and the secrets of longevity"
SARS/Bird Flu situation in China click here
Papers from Seniors after China Tours
China Hiking Adventures Inc. welcomes you to the website for the Seniors' China Tour. In 1999 -- which the United Nations declared as the international "Year of the Elderly" -- we first brought together two groups of North American and Chinese Seniors. Once again, this year, we are offering this tour to promote lifestyle enrichment through personal contact with between seniors. Because our objective is not to make a profit, but to foster senior-to-senior relations, we are able to offer this tour at very near cost. For details on the cost of the tour, see our Details page.
click here
China Hiking Adventure Inc. licensed under the Ontario Government Travel Agency Act TICO for your financial protection. Our TICO registration number is 50015540. To check us out you can phone TICO (Travel Industry Council of Ontario) at 905-624-6241. This is the travel industry regulating body which maintains a bonding insurance to protect consumers' funds.
This website is divided into five sections.
Overview gives a general description of the aims and scope of this tour.
Itinerary provides a detailed look at the daily activities.
References allows others who have taken this tour to talk about their experiences.
Details talks about what's included in the tour, as well as the costs.
Registration will bring you to the China Hiking Adventures Inc. Online Registration System Page for secure registration.
For Cancellation Policy and Insurance
clcik here
click here
On July 1, 2006 Qinghai-Tibet Railway put into operation
which changed the History of Tibet forever !!
click here
to foster people-to-people relations between China and USA
click here
click here
Pour encourager le développement des relations entre le Québec et la Chine
Audience: The Seniors' China Tour is focused on the interests of seniors, and anyone over the age of 50 should find the tour enjoyable. This tour is suitable for any able-bodied person, of nearly any level of fitness. Although wheelchair accessibility is limited in China, those who use wheelchairs are welcome to join the tour. For those who are physically more robust, there are portions of the tour that allow the opportunity to participate in more strenuous activities.
Extension Tours are available :
1. China's most famous Gardens cities : SuZhou and HangZhou
2. Xian -- Terra Cotta Soldiers Museum and its photos
3. Three Gorges Cruise down YangTse River and its photos
Photos
from seniors in the past tours
(click for photos)
Aging population in China is not fearful
UPDATED: 12:21, October 24, 2004
October 22 is the traditional Double Ninth Festival (Chong Yang Festival) and all walks of life have focused their attention on the old people. The aging speed of China has been ranked the first in the world. Therewith, how do the old people, the society and the government cope with this situation? Following is an interview between a reporter of People's Daily and associate research fellow Wang Di of Hangzhou Normal Institute and member of the special population aging committee of China Academy of Population.
China is rapidly entering into aging society. In the years to come, "low birth rate, low death rate and longevity" will become a universal phenomenon.
Reporter: When talking of aging, we have always thought of developed countries in Europe and in the North America. Is it true that China has entered into aging society in an all-round way?
Wang: Indeed aging appears first in developed countries. As they have entered into the stage of low birth rate with less children population the rate of elder people has been up continuously According to international recognized standards, if the old people over 65 account for 7 per cent or the old people over 60 account for more than 10 per cent of the country's total population, that will be aging society.
China has entered the aging society very rapidly. For developed countries, it takes generally about 100 years to become an aging society from the birth rate reduction while it only takes more than 20 years for China to reach the initiative stage of the aging society from the reduction of the birth rate in 1970s to early in 1980s to the beginning of this century. It is undeniable that family planning policy China adopted is the factor for pushing forward and accelerating the process of social aging. It is also attributed to the rapid development of Chinese economy and society, and to the quick improvement of disease control, healthy conditions and the quality of life.
It is estimated that by the middle of this century, the number of the old people over 60 will surpass 400 million, accounting for about a quarter. In future, there will be a tendency towards the development of aging society with higher rate of people aged over 80. In the future society, "low birth rate, low death rate and longevity" will become a universal phenomenon. Sooner or later all countries in the world will face the arrival of the ¡±aging society". Population aging will be a common problem for the whole mankind in this century.
It is more rapid for the rural population to become aging so attention should be paid to aging insurance there
Reporter: Since China is a developing country, what is the difference between China and developed countries? What are the outstanding problems for China?
Wang: The universal rule for developed countries is: when entering into aging society, the per capita GDP is generally more than US$5,000 or reaches more than US$8,000. They are capable to solve some social problems brought about by aging. In contrast, the per capita GDP of China was only more than US$1,000 in 2003. There is a great gap between China and developed countries, which will have impact on coping with aging capability.
In addition, of the elderly people in China the agricultural and less-educated population has occupied a great proportion. As a result, many elderly people are short of economic accumulation and knowledge. At present the urban population aged over 65 in China account for 6.42 per cent while in rural areas the population accounts for 7.5 per cent. The population aging is more rapid in rural areas than in cities.
The reduction of rural population and the decline of rural proportion in the total population are in favor of solving issues concerning agriculture, countryside and farmers. It also reflects the economic development of China and social progress in population area. The variation brings a certain negative impact to the contemporary villages. The drain of rural labor power in quantity makes the structure of labor force in villages aged.
The economic development level in rural areas is much lower than that in urban areas. At present a perfect pension system has not been established in the vast rural areas. It is a blank for the large part of rural areas to cover endowment insurance. The problem needs to be settled as soon as possible. In rural areas, large qualities of young labor force are out for labor. "Empty nest" families have appeared in quantity. For many rural elderly people, they will continue to work in the field. As having no pension, they will work till they lose their ability to work.
With the reduction of intercourse between parents and their offspring it is common for elderly people to live alone.
Reporter: What changes will be made in the social pension pattern in order to cope with the social needs?
Wang: The present pattern is family-based, self-relied and society-based. With the establishment of social insurance system, the pattern must be mainly society-based.
In the modern society more young people are gaining knowledge and wealth by going to society instead of getting knowledge, experience and economic heritage from their parents. With the reduction of intercourse between parents and their offspring, it will become a trend to lose affection. With the disintegration of multi-generation families, the generalization of small nuclear families and the emergence of many "empty nest" families there will be more elderly people living alone with family-maintaining function getting weakened. This social tendency will be dealt with through socialization and the government should assume the responsibility. Social pension undertakings should be developed in a big way and a perfect social pension system should be established in the rapid development of social economy with the fast aging population. Only through the social welfare insurance system can the elderly people will be looked after properly.
Entering into old age, they will go through the periods including health, sickness and handicapping. So the corresponding services of concern, medical care and looking after will be needed. The system of the services in these areas is not complete and at low level. Starting from now, these services must be improved.
Enrich the concept of "filial piety" in the new times while offspring should pay more attention to "spiritual solace" when showing filial piety to their parents
Reporter: Many old people can be looked after, but the spiritual loneliness is an in-depth problem. In the new age, how to inject new meaning to the traditional culture of filial piety?
Wang: In material the more filial piety will come from society. Many elderly people have the ability to support themselves. Offspring should pay more attention to "spiritual solace" when showing filial piety to their parents.
There are indeed different ways of life between the aged and the young. It is conduce to making their relations democratic and their generation relations equal by keeping a certain distance between them. Now the ideal pattern for many people is: after getting married the young couples will live near their parents. Some experts suggest the residential pattern should meet the requirements of several generations, which should be suitable for their living together and in separation.
The young should go home frequently. In the modern society of fierce competition, it is of emotional satisfaction for the young to return to the warm home of their parents.
It is of active importance to call for the "culture of filial piety". It not only promotes families to live in harmony, but also boosts political and social stability and economic prosperity. Aging is not fearful. We should make efforts to seek workable measures and to build a future when the old and the young can live in harmony. It is not only the responsibility and desire of each generation, but also shows the progress and civilization of our society.
By People's Daily Online
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200410/24/eng20041024_161366.html
***************************************************************************************************************
A delegation of SENIORS from Calgary, Alberta visited
University of Senior Citizen in China in April 2002. You can view the photos click here.
Subject: China Hiking
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 19:21:46 -0600
From: Jean Hogg <jhogg@cadvision.com>
To: info@china-hiking.com
Dear Tony,
What a wonderful trip! We had a great time.
I enjoyed everthing about the trip but I think that I especially liked
our time in Shijiazhuang and Baodong. It was interesting to meet the
Chinese seniors at their center and in their homes. I enjoyed our
conversation with the professor from the University and exchanging ideas
with him - he was a good listener. I loved our visit to the Lang Zing
temple. It had such a peaceful atmosphere. I think I liked it better than
the forbidden city with all the crowds. It was quite inspiring to see the
seniors doing their exercises, singing and dancing in the park in Baoding.
I will remember that scene for a long time. It was a great pleasure to
visit the nursery school and to observe the delightful children. I was
surprised at how much I enjoyed the food.
My only suggestion might be to make the trip a little longer and to have
half a day off in the middle of the trip instead of at the end.
We were very, very happy with Mr. Li as our guide. He was thoughtful and
sensitive to our needs. He made the history of that part of China come
alive with his storytelling. He is a gifted teacher. We could not imagine
having a better guide, and we felt very safe in the hands of our driver.
Thank you very much for arranging our trip. I will remember it with
pleasure for a long time. I hope you have a good trip to Tibet. It sounds
very exciting and challenging. I like seeing your photos on the computer.
Sincerely yours,
Jean Hogg
University of Senior Citizen in China in October 2001. You can view photos of this trip click here.
A record of Video Tape is available with this Tour.
If you are interested you can contact some of the following :
FRANCES SARK TEL: HOME( 902 )831-2027
Audiologist Volunteer Needed
(click for info)
NEW For Real Media Player users, click here to view video clips.
CHINA
BECKONING SENIORS
by Kevin Barker ( 604-288-2271)
China - the very word evokes images of sloping pagodas, mysterious herbs, rice paddies, millennia old dynasties, the grey, relentless face of Communism and more recently a mixture of emerging capitalism and change. It is hard for Westerners to know the real China and impossible to know it from behind the walls of distance and media reports, which is why it is drawing more and more people to its exotic shores. Despite the rigors of transcontinental travel, many mature Canadians are now acting on the desire to visit its Forbidden City, sample its exciting cuisine, marvel at the Great Wall, and witness first hand a complex social structure they have only read about.
Now, for the older traveler there is an opportunity to be more than just a tourist. A new tour has been created by a small company out of Toronto, to maximise the interaction between Canadian and Chinese seniors.
So says Tony Pau, an authority on China and host of the Seniors' China Tour, shortly before the November departure of the quarterly excursion. [Chinese seniors], he says, "have their own university. People who have run the country for years have retired, and they would also like to meet their counterparts from North America."
That's why Tony's guided tour is special. China's mature citizens are anxious to see for themselves if the picture of "the decadent west" painted by their government and media is true. So, in addition to seeing all the great attractions China has to offer, the traveler gets up close and personal with residents their own age.
Of course the Seniors' China Tour is more than just a debate on cultural differences. According to Tony it is designed to answer four questions they posed to seniors on visiting the world's most populous nation. "How many seniors are interested in visiting China, why haven't they gone before, what would they like to see, and how would they like to meet people their own age?"
The answers were intriguing. Tony reports that a full 85% of respondents said they would like to see China before they died: "That's very high," he mused. "The [respondents] also told us that most commercial packages are not right for them. Those packages are for people who want to visit five or six different cities. They didn't want to go to all of those, although the majority wanted to see the Great Wall. Many want to meet the seniors there and find out why they live longer, despite a lower standard of living". Many of the Canadian interviewees were interested in overcoming the problem of mortality (the oldest citizens of the world live in China).
No one knows the secret of longevity, but experts agree that the pace of life and close family ties are definitely part of the equation. Another factor is undoubtedly the rich spiritual life enjoyed by the Chinese, which is an integral part of social life. Despite time and political developments (the Cultural Revolution, for one), the Taoist ethic of hard work and filial piety has endured and prospered. Grandparents are more than just involved in their grandchildren's lives; they actually rear them while the parents are making a living. In return, they get the undying respect of their children and their children's children.
Adds Tony: "They don't have two cars in the garage. Though they work hard to maintain their standard of living they have their own safety net, so society in general has less stress. Within the closely-knit family, the senior's job is to take care of the grandchildren. It's something no one questions. "
"One of the things we do is break the group down into four and visit the families, where they can see three generations living in a single home. They can see the family structure and why it exists."
Also on the itinerary is the University of Senior Citizens in Shijiashuang. Visitors may discuss fine art appreciation with China's leading experts, along with Chinese brush painting and ancient healing techniques such as acupuncture.
"Our seniors are fascinated by the University," adds Tony, "particularly history, culture, philosophy and religion. The Buddhist philosophy influences every head in China, so I look for examples of that in the behaviour we observe every day on the road."
The Seniors' China Tour is an unforgettable journey, and the learning opportunity of lifetie designed to suit the needs and comforts of older travelers. Best of all, it's priced at a very modest US $1,199 per person,
covering all land costs with the exception of travel insurance, visas, and taxes. Airfare is not included. Other highlights include tickets for the fabled Beijing Opera, the China National acrobatic show, giant Pandas at the Beijing zoo, the Royal Tomb of the Ming Dynasty, TianAn'Men Square, the world's oldest stone arched bridge and a farewell Beijing duck dinner are provided, compliments of the Peoples' Republic.
If you're thinking of making at least one transcontinental journey this year, make it this one. You won't regret it. Check out the tour's website at http:// www.china-hiking.com/seniors, or call Tony direct at (416) 605-7479 for more information.
15 days of Tibet Nomad hiking experience
click here
**************************************************************************************
SIDEBAR
A SAMPLER OF CHINESE LIFE
Things are getting better for average folks in the Peoples Republic of China, reports George Illsley, an Edmonton lawyer who took the Seniors' China Tour in April, 1999.
"We had contact with a lot of seniors," he recollects. "There isn't a great deal of difference (between us), and they seem like fine people. The average Chinese person is laid back, doesn't get upset very easily, and is friendly. "
He adds the standard of living seemed reasonably good by western standards: "They seem to be advancing," he says. "Their young people seem to be attaining the heights we've achieved in the West, which their parents weren't able to do."
He adds that the specifics of the political situation isn't readily apparent in China, and rarely forms a topic of dinner time conversation. However, there were subtle signs of a government presence during the tour.
Photographers were present when the group was introduced to a renowned University for Seniors (see main story). And one of the scheduled visits was to a kindergarten for Muslim children, suggesting that religious freedom is alive and well in the republic established in the late 1940s by Mao Tse Tung.
George also visited BaoDing, where the phenomenon of longevity is being studied. Each morning, seniors gathered in the village square to engage in physical activities including various forms of dance (including some from Latin America!), and the ancient practice of Tai Chi. The image of people performing western style dance in a public square in China is quite significant, since such a "decadent" act would have been unthinkable even ten years ago.
Contact with the locals also occurred on a more symbolic level, he adds. While observing the physical exercises one morning at BaoDing, one elderly person approached him and held his fingers up to his head. "He held up seven fingers indicating 70. I realized later that he was trying to guess my age."
He came pretty close," he says, with a chuckle.
Above was published by :
<<INDEPENDENT TIMES>>
211 E. GEORGE ST.
Vancouver, BC
October 2000 Vol. 11 page 7
More Interesting Stories
click here
Come ! Join us to meet Modern Tibetan Women
click here
At the bottom of each page is a handy Navigation Bar that helps you get around this website. Designed with the thought of compatibility in mind, this site does not use frames.
Click Here for the China
Hiking Adventures Home Page
Home Page /
Overview /
Itinerary /
References /
Details /
Registration /
E-mail
Copyright © 2007 China Hiking Adventures Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The information in this communication is subject to change without notice. China Hiking Adventures Inc. will NOT be held liable for any inaccuracies in the information not maintained by China Hiking Adventures Inc. (such as a linked site).