From the People’s Daily app.

This is Story in the Story.

The average age of retirement in China is 55, one of the earliest in the world. 

However, according to the China National Committee on Aging, the population of the elderly over 60 years old (China defines elderly people as those over 60) reached 240 million by the end of 2017, accounting for 17.3 percent of the total population. It means that four workers are required to take care of one elderly man or woman. 

An aging population may result in the potential risk of a pension shortfall since a smaller labor force will pay for pensions while an increasing number of elderly people collect it. Moreover, to enjoy life as a senior may require more than a pension for some people. As a result, some elderly people want to earn extra money in their later life. 

In fact, relevant authorities have been doing research about extending the retirement age since 2008. 

The Xinhua News Agency reported in 2016 that China's former Minister for Human Resources and Social Security Yin Weimin promised to introduce a progressive policy to postpone the retirement age of Chinese citizens.

Today's Story in the Story will look at how the "Silver Hair Project" in the outskirts of Beijing sets an example by helping 13,200 elderly people find work.

Preparing for the ongoing Beijing Chrysanthemum Festival, an elderly worker gardens in a green house at the Beijing International Flower Port in Shunyi district, Beijing on September 14. (Photo: Zhang Dan)

At 7 a.m. on a sunny morning this month, 68-year-old Tang Guangzhi put on his worn out security uniform and went to work as a security guard captain at the Beijing International Flower Port in a northeastern suburb of Beijing.

"The ongoing Beijing Chrysanthemum Festival requires us to work harder than usual,” Tang said. “Because of the light show in the evening, I need to stay at my job until 11 pm, but I feel good to be able to make a contribution in my remaining years.”

Tang told the Global Times he had been working at the flower port for 11 years, since retiring from the local village committee of Hongsi village, Shunyi district, Beijing. 

"As long as my health condition allows me to work, I will keep on working. After all, what should we do if we sit around and do nothing?" Tang said. 

Exploring various ways of living in later life is being widely encouraged as the proportion of elderly people in China grows. For instance, Liaoning Province in Northeast China published a plan in early July calling for a progressive postponement of retirement and effective use of elderly human resources. 

Chinese experts said that elderly people have the right to share the bounty of socioeconomic development. 

Wang said some elderly people continue to work because they want to contribute through participating in social activities, but others work for financial reasons - because of an inadequate pension, many elderly people living in the countryside have to work in their 60s or even 70s. 

As a model of helping the aged work after retirement in the capital city, Shunyi's project has provided an alternative in later life for local elderly people. 

The positions for most elderly people are usually in the service area, such as security guards, cleaners, and landscape maintenance personnel, who are paid from 3,000 yuan ($440) to 4,000 yuan. 

Yao Yuan, an expert in aging issues, approves of projects which encourage the elderly to work after retirement. 

He said that the programs correspond to the expectation of some elderly people and could also ease the problems brought by the growing elderly population.

Peng Xizhe, director of the Center for Population and Development Policy Studies at Fudan University, called for people to change their ideas when talking about elderly people. 

"Elderly people have the right to share the achievements of socioeconomic development," Peng said.

Because of changes in technology, many new forms of jobs are being created. Peng said the elderly could open online stores or work as Uber drivers.

Peng called for society to use the resources of the aged population, for instance, encouraging them to work as community volunteers. 

Aging is a natural process that nobody can resist. It is good to see there are some elderly continuing to work, not just for money, but to contribute to society.

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Raymond Mendoza, Lance Crayon, and Grace Song. Music by: bensound.com. Text from Global Times and Xinhua.)