(Photos: VCG)

At 7 am in the Baihuajing Campus of the Hefei University for the Elderly, many people have already gathered at the entrance of the campus.

There is still one and a half hours to go before registration begins. In order to successfully register, some people queued up at the school gate at 4 am.

"I'd like to enroll in the photography class this year and travel with the kids when I learn how to do it. I can also take pictures for myself,” Mrs. Zhang, 67, told reporters.

 She said that she had been helping her grandchildren at home after retirement and rarely went out.

Once at a friend’s gathering, she saw other elderly women using single lens reflex cameras, and became intrigued. At the suggestion of her good friend, she decided to enroll in a photography class this year.

Mr. Li, 70, is a senior student at the university.

"It's better to have a lot of good friends who you meet after a period of study at school than to be stuck at home all day long,” said Li. He said that he did not go to college when he was young because he was poor. Now he can enroll in university and study, fulfilling an old wish.

In recent years, more and more Chinese senior citizens are flocking to university. They enroll in classes like music, folk dance, and foreign languages.

These days, elderly people are eager to pursue life-long learning and enrich their spiritual world.

Altogether, 8 departments, 55 specialties and 260 classes are offered at the Hefei University for the Elderly.

Director Zheng of the Academic Affairs Department of the university told reporters that they will enroll more than 12,000 people in the autumn semester of 2018. Vocal music and folk dance are popular courses. "Some people may not be able to register for the classes they like,” he said. Limited teaching resources cannot meet the growing demands of the elderly.

(compiled by Sun Tianren)