GO Guangdong Route:

Huang Family Ancestral Hall?Dingwu Canteen ?Bingquan Ancestral Hall ?Dingwu Stage? Moonlight Lake ?Moonlit Trail

Dongkeng Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province

The global population is aging at an unprecedented rate. This demographic shift has led to significant challenges for traditional elderly care systems. 

Dongguan, often referred to as the world’s factory, is a megacity located in the Pearl River Delta. Dongkeng Town, part of Dongguan, is situated near Shenzhen and Guangzhou, as well as the Songshan Lake, which hosts renowned brands such as Huawei and OPPO. Therefore, the town has experienced a significant outflow of young residents who migrate to the nearby urban areas for work, leading to an increasing number of "empty-nest" elderly residents. To address this challenge, it has initiated an innovative model that leverages local resources to feed the increasing demand for elderly care.

Community canteens deliver nutritious meals to seniors’ doorsteps

Community canteen for elderly residents

To tackle age-related malnutrition while fostering social cohesion among isolated elders, Dongkeng has established a community meal network which consists of one central kitchen and 15 satellite meal delivery stations. The network provides 12 thousand monthly nutritious meals, benefiting nearly 5,000 residents.

At the central kitchen, staff meticulously portion steaming meals into insulated containers. These are then transported to different communities, where home-based care teams, a collaboration of nursing aides and social workers, deliver each meal directly to seniors’ doorsteps.

Eighty-one-year-old Mr. Ding from Dingwu Village of Dongkeng receives his daily lunch through this program. “The caregivers are incredibly thoughtful. Meals always arrive on time and piping hot. The dishes which are mildly seasoned with balanced nutrition cater perfectly to our elderly preferences,” he remarks.

Dongkeng’s comprehensive meal assistance program now operates town-wide, serving seniors with moderate-to-severe disabilities. Each meal follows a “two meats, one veggie, and one soup” standard, meticulously designed with soft textures, controlled sodium, and reduced sugar to align with elders’ health needs while preserving culinary satisfaction.

Hospital-to-community extended model helps track vulnerable seniors

Community outlook of Dongkeng Town

For elderly residents with limited mobility, Dongkeng has pioneered an innovative hospital-to-community extended care program, by embedding healthcare services into 48 community grids. A dedicated team of 35 family doctors is assigned to specific grids, establishing a priority list that tracks over 280 vulnerable seniors.

To ensure service continuity, the town delivers weekly support for 768 frail seniors, accumulating over 100,000 personalized care sessions. This bridges medical treatment and daily care, effectively addressing the fragmentation of elderly services.

Embracing digital innovation, Dongkeng’s AI-powered elderly care platform developed by the community health center and telecom partners enables 24/7 remote monitoring and real-time home assistance for homebound seniors and disabled residents. Sensors detect falls or vital anomalies, triggering immediate responder dispatches.

Nursing home established to provide professional services

Dongkeng Nursing Home

The Dongkeng Nursing Home, co-located within Dongkeng Hospital, operates under an integrated management structure. Sharing administrative teams, medical equipment, and digital systems between both facilities enables efficient resource synergy. This model seamlessly blends medical care with elderly support, effectively resolving the fragmentation of traditional elderly services.

The nursing home is equipped with 300 beds and integrates medical treatment, rehabilitation, daily assistance, recreational activities, psychological counseling, and hospice care, specifically serving seniors with moderate-to-severe disabilities from chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases and Parkinson’s.

To eliminate out-of-pocket burdens, the facility is supported by significant policy innovations, including a 18,000 RMB (about $2,500) per-bed infrastructure subsidy and medical insurance coverage under a per diem reimbursement system.

To date, the nursing home has achieved marked progress, attracting seniors from the city, across Guangdong, and even Hong Kong. It has served over 9,700 patients with moderate-to-severe age-related conditions, with service satisfaction rates exceeding 95%.

Living environment improved through community efforts

The “Ding-Peng-Huang” area

The “Ding-Peng-Huang” area of Dongkeng consists of three villages, namely, Dingwu, Pengwu, and Huangwu. Although the three villages are geographically adjacent, they were long divided by internal conflicts.

During heavy rains, chronic pond backflows flooded aging homes, which is a consequence of neglected infrastructure. As described by Huangwu Village staff, "This area used to have only a few ponds, with lychee groves along the banks. It was a place no one visited."

To revitalize the area, Dongkeng Town initiated a project focused on repainting walls, repairing exposed and deteriorating structures, replacing windows and tiles, redesigning traditional signage, and creating mural art. A total of 180 rural homes across the area were rejuvenated through the project. Additionally, new greenery was introduced to enhance the environment.

The Bingquan ancestral hall is revitalized as a coffee shop.

In addition, Dongkeng is leveraging historical assets such as ancestral halls and old village walls to develop immersive cultural experiences. These sites have been rebuilt into intangible cultural heritage experience centers, offering visitors with authentic Lingnan traditions.

By the National Day holiday in 2024, the once-forgotten community was teeming with life as nearby residents flocked in for leisure tourism. The newly built walkways and a striking full moon light installation transformed the area into a nighttime destination as well, drawing crowds and injecting the area with new energy and popularity.