During the heat of summer, the senior canteen offers a refreshing and comfortable haven. By around 10:30 am, more than a dozen senior residents have gathered, waiting for lunch while chatting casually as they cool off - relaxed and content in the lively atmosphere. In the kitchen, two cooks efficiently prepare fresh dishes. For just 1 yuan ($0.14), Xu Furong enjoys two hearty food courses - stir-fried bean sprouts with pork and scrambled eggs with onions - along with a bowl of millet porridge and two steamed buns.

　　Simple, tasty, and tailored to the local senior palate.

　　“Having meals here is just so convenient,“ Xu said with a grateful smile. “Cooking for ourselves used to be troublesome, and our children aren“t always around. My husband and I would often just make do. But now we eat well and get to chat with old friends every day.“

　　Xu is just one of tens of thousands of seniors whose lives have improved significantly due to the establishment of senior canteens.

　　Yiyuan county, located in East China“s Shandong Province and home to Nanliuzhuang village, represents a typical aging rural area in China“s mountainous regions. With a total population of about 515,000, nearly 26 percent are aged 60 and above - well above the national average.

　　The county sits in the central mountainous region of Shandong, nestled in the Yimeng Mountains. Over 99 percent of its terrain is hilly, and local agriculture revolves around fruit cultivation - mainly apples, peaches, and cherries. The rugged geography and scattered aging population make traditional eldercare services difficult to implement.

　　To address these challenges, Yiyuan has pioneered a new model in recent years: “Farming for farmers, caring for farmers.“ At the core is the “Yiyuanhong“ project, which integrates facilities including senior canteens, public bathhouses, barbershops, health clinics, and convenience stores.