Rural vitalization, help for aged go hand in hand

Located in the Yimeng revolutionary base area, Yiyuan county in Zibo, Shandong province, features a rugged hilly terrain, and the local agriculture focuses on fruit cultivation — mainly apples, peaches and cherries.

With a total population of about 515,000, nearly 26 percent are aged 60 and above, higher than the national average. In rural areas, 85,000 elderly residents make up 33.7 percent of the rural population.

The challenging geography and aging population make traditional elderly care services difficult to implement.

In recent years, villages in the county have pioneered innovative ways to facilitate rural vitalization and elderly care services.

In Longziyu, blessed with ecological advantages and convenient transportation, cultural tourism has emerged as a new economic model.

Old homes have been transformed into boutique guesthouses, vacant courtyards into art spaces, while its campsite concept attracts young urbanites for weekend getaways.

While Longziyu focuses on cultural tourism, neighboring Liujiapo village showcases a technological approach.

At an orchard, a single worker can monitor real-time data of 15 hectares of orchards, such as irrigation and weeding records.

"By deploying agricultural internet of things systems, we've evolved from 'farming by weather' to 'farming with knowledge'," said Sun Qinghua, the Party secretary of Lucun town, which administrates Liujiapo.

"The orchard, created through land-use rights transfers from two villages, employs over 60 locals, increasing their average annual income by 20,000 yuan," said Sun.

Technology's reach in the county extends to elderly care through smart platforms. In Dongli town, a smart home-based elderly care platform has been established, covering 12 villages and 221 senior households.

When 75-year-old Zhang Shunnan fell and used a voice command, the AI system alerted responders who reached his home and rushed him to a hospital.

"From monitoring to emergency response, smart devices create a safety circle for rural seniors," said Yang Hua, deputy Party secretary of Dongli town, noting plans to expand the system to 48 villages.

Villages in Yiyuan have developed their own ways tailored to their resources and circumstances, said Yu Qing, deputy head of the county government.

"Rural leaders need to be skilled in both public service and entrepreneurial practices. They develop the local economy to generate collective village income, which in turn provides funding support for elderly care services in the village," said Yu.

Zheng Lihui contributed to the story.