Hechi, in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, plans to use its aging population as a way to attract tourists. Hechi administers 11 counties and districts, six of which are known for longevity.
By the end of 2015, Hechi had 67,000 people aged between 80 to 89, of whom, 760 were centenarians. It was named the "City of Longevity" at the International Symposium on Population Aging and Longevity, which was held in Changchun City in northeast China last week.
"Hechi has become popular with many tourists, especially from Asian countries who also honor longevity, like Japan and the Republic of Korea, " said Wei Xigang, deputy director of the Hechi aging society work committee.
Health tourism funding will be poured into Bama, a county inhabited by the ethnic Yao people and famed for having many silver-haired residents, to create a tourist destination. "Hechi is also an impoverished area. We hope health tourism will help promote economic development," he said.
Latest comments