To actively address population aging, enrich the spiritual and cultural activities of the elderly, and improve their physical and mental health, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, together with 12 departments including the Central Propaganda Department and the Cyberspace Administration of China, recently issuedthe ‘Notice on Carrying Out ‘Enjoy Silver Age’ Series Activities to Enrich the Spiritual and Cultural Life of the Elderly’(hereinafter referred to as the ‘Notice’),Starting from the first half of 2026, with the theme ‘Joyful Body and Mind, Show Elegance, Promote Health’, the ‘Enjoy Silver Age’ series of activities will be organized and carried out annually on a regular basis.

The Notice points out that the ‘Enjoy Silver Age’ series of activities should adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, base themselves on the needs and characteristics of the elderly, build a platform for spiritual and cultural activities for the elderly, guide the vast number of elderly to actively participate,stimulate the innovation and creativity of spiritual and cultural services for the elderly, expand the supply of cultural and sports services and products for the elderly, accelerate the cultivation of new growth points for silver consumption, promote the improvement of the quality of life and health level of the elderly, and better meet the high-quality and diverse spiritual and cultural needs of the elderly.

The Notice emphasizes that the content of the ‘Enjoy Silver Age’ series of activities mainly coversthe six major activities: ‘Elderly Literature and Art’, ‘Elderly Cultural Creativity’, ‘Elderly Reading’, ‘Elderly Fitness’, ‘Elderly Health and Wellness’, and ‘Elderly Science Popularization’, aiming to let the elderly gain happiness, experience joy, and promote health through these activities.

The following is the full text of the Notice:

Notice on Carrying Out ‘Enjoy Silver Age’ Series Activities to Enrich the Spiritual and Cultural Life of the Elderly

To the civil affairs departments (bureaus), party propaganda departments, party cyberspace affairs offices, education departments (commissions), agriculture and rural affairs departments (bureaus, commissions), commerce authorities, culture and tourism departments (bureaus), radio and television bureaus, sports administrative departments, federations of literary and art circles, and science and technology associations of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government; and the Civil Affairs Bureau, Party Propaganda Department, Party Cyberspace Affairs Office, Education Bureau, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, Commerce Bureau, Culture, Sports, Radio and Television, and Tourism Bureau, Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Science and Technology Association of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:

To actively address population aging, enrich spiritual and cultural activities for the elderly, and improve their phy-sical and mental health, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Central Propaganda Department, and other departments have decided to organize and carry out the ‘Enjoy Silver Age’ series of activities annually starting from 2026, with the theme ‘Joyful Body and Mind, Show Elegance, Promote Health’. The relevant matters are hereby notified as follows:

I. Activity Objectives

Adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deeply implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and all previous plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee, earnestly implement the deployments of the Fourth Plenary Session, practice the concept of positive aging and healthy aging, base ourselves on the needs and characteristics of the elderly, build a platform for spiritual and cultural activities for the elderly, guide the vast number of elderly to actively participate, stimulate the innovation and creativity of spiritual and cultural services for the elderly, expand the supply of cultural and sports services and products for the elderly, accelerate the cultivation of new growth points for silver consumption, promote the improvement of the quality of life and health level of the elderly, and better meet the high-quality and diverse spiritual and cultural needs of the elderly.

II. Activity Content

Including but not limited to the following:

(1) Organize and carry out ‘Elderly Literature and Art’ activities.

Guide localities to hold mass literary and art performances such as elderly art shows, talent competitions, gala evenings, and grassroots mass cultural activities such as ‘Our Festivals’, ‘Village Gala’, song contests, opera fan gatherings, square dancing, and yangko gatherings. Extensively carry out exchange and display of elderly music, dance, opera, recitation, costume performances, as well as folk skills and folk art.Encourage cultural market entities to provide cultural products suitable for the elderly. Encourage artists and literary workers at all levels to participate in public welfare activities such as promoting excellent traditional Chinese culture, sending art into communities, and sending opera to the countryside, with attention to rural elderly people.Tap into rural cultural talents and cultural leaders, carry out rural cultural activities according to local conditions, and drive more rural elderly to actively participate. Support elderly universities, literary and art groups, etc., to carry out literary and artistic training and teaching activities for the elderly, and provide support and guidance for the positive literary and artistic activities of the elderly.

(2) Organize and carry out ‘Elderly Cultural Creativity’ activities.

Support the holding of calligraphy and painting exhibitions, photography exhibitions, video exhibitions and other creative and display activities of elderly literary and artistic works,Encourage and guide the elderly to participate in the creation of literary works such as poetry, song lyrics, calligraphy, painting, photography, folk crafts, as well as short videos, micro-dramas, micro-movies, etc. Support the creation of films, radio, TV series, variety shows, etc. on elderly themes, run elderly-specific channels and frequencies, and set up smart radio and television ‘Enjoy Silver Age’ service columns and zones.Encourage qualified areas to install plug-in mini set-top boxes to facilitate convenient TV viewing for the elderly. Encourage the elderly to participate in the national public service advertisement collection and broadcasting activities for respecting, providing for, and assisting the elderly. Orderly guide the elderly to participate in live streaming, and carry out public welfare activities such as literary and artistic education and training, and red culture promotion. Encourage the establishment of intangible cultural heritage training sites, display areas, and workshops in new era civilization practice centers (stations), elderly universities, and community activity centers; organize silver-age representative inheritors to carry out intangible cultural heritage creation and teaching activities, and display the elderly’s achievements in guarding and inheriting intangible cultural heritage. Encourage the elderly, based on their familiar fields, to participate in the development of local characteristic culture and tourism industries, and to participate in the empowerment of rural revitalization through cultural industries.

(3) Organize and carry out ‘Elderly Reading’ activities.

During National Reading Activity Week and National Lifelong Learning Activity Week,carry out national elderly reading promotion activities, and organize targeted elderly reading weeks, reading months, and reading festivals.On the basis of retaining the supply of offline paper reading materials, advocate the use of information technology and new media platforms, configure age-appropriate digital equipment, and carry out elderly reading promotion activities such as digital reading, audio reading, video reading, and cloud classrooms.Leverage the brand role of ‘Elderly Reading Club’, encourage various media platforms to produce and broadcast attractive and influential elderly reading programs. Implement the ‘Silver Age Leading Reader Plan’, rely on social forces to cultivate a team of elderly reading leading readers, and provide guidance for elderly readers.

(4) Organize and carry out ‘Elderly Fitness’ activities.

Support the holding of national and regional elderly sports fitness conferences. Actively carry out national fitness themed activities such as the New Year Climbing Fitness Conference, ‘Walking the Grand Canal’ National Fitness Walk, National Fitness Day, ‘Farmers’ Harvest Festival’ National Fitness, and ‘Double Ninth Festival’ Elderly Sports Fitness.Extensively carry out elderly fitness competitions, township (street) games, village (community) games and other mass sports exchange and display activities. Promote and popularize sports and fitness projects suitable for the elderly, such as brisk walking, aerobics, Tai Chi, Baduanjin, Wuqinxi, soft ball, gateball, balloon volleyball, table tennis, chess and cards, as well as projects with ethnic characteristics and folk traditions.

(5) Organize and carry out ‘Elderly Health and Wellness’ activities.

Encourage the development of tourism products suitable for the elderly and family trips, as well as hotel, homestay and other service facilities that are friendly to both the young and old and families.Encourage business entities to focus on themes such as elderly health tourism, family trips, nostalgic trips, and youth trips; support the development of integrated ‘study-travel-health’ projects, and create a number of high-quality elderly tourism routes and destination cities (regions). Promote travel following performances, films, events, and intangible cultural heritage; make good use of cultural relic theme paths and promote museum exhibitions.Combine local characteristic resources to enrich the travel experience activities for the elderly. Encourage the optimization of flight schedules in key tourist cities and the addition of silver-haired tourism trains. In compliance with regulations, hold silver-haired industry promotion activities with the theme of elderly health and wellness, and build exchange platforms and industry promotion platforms.

(6) Organize and carry out ‘Elderly Science Popularization’ activities.

Enhance the degree of social openness of public elderly education resources.Accelerate the development of elderly education and expand the supply of high-quality resources. In conjunction with activities such as National Digital Literacy and Skills Enhancement Month and National Science Popularization Month, continuously carry out the ‘Smart Assistance for the Elderly’ action; encourage research institutes, enterprises, etc. to develop age-appropriate smart products and science popularization scenarios; strengthen education and training for the elderly in using digital intelligence tools and products.Carry out publicity activities on network security, fraud identification and prevention, etc., to improve the elderly’s awareness of prevention and anti-fraud ability. Carry out health science popularization services for the elderly, providing scientific and accurate health guidance. Give full play to the science popularization and education role of elderly universities, elderly science and technology universities, science and technology museums, cultural centers and other units, and enhance the elderly’s ability to obtain, identify and apply information.

III. Organization and Implementation

(1) Strengthen organizational leadership.

Departments such as civil affairs, party propaganda, party cyberspace affairs, education, agriculture and rural affairs, commerce, culture and tourism, radio and television, sports, federations of literary and art circles, and science and technology associations should leverage their functional advantages, actively support their own units, systems, industries, and supervisory social organizations to hold a series of activities, and cultivate and create a number of influential demonstration activity brands. Civil affairs departments and the Office of the Working Committee on Aging should strengthen overall coordination, ensure work connection with relevant departments, and enhance coordination and linkage in activity implementation, publicity and guidance. All localities should, focusing on the activity content, combine traditional and important time nodes, deeply explore local resources, and determine 1-2 thematic priorities each year according to local conditions for deployment, striving to create activity brands with regional and ethnic characteristics.

(2) Gather forces from all sides.

Adhere to party building leadership, face the grassroots, serve the masses, adhere to and strengthen party leadership; give full play to the role of elderly universities, national and local social organizations at all levels, particularly grassroots elderly associations, supporting them to carry out activities beneficial to the physical and mental health of the elderly. Encourage and guide enterprises, charitable organizations, etc. to donate and support the development of activities. Focus on leveraging the positive role of volunteers in education, science and technology, culture and tourism, sports and other fields, especially the ‘Silver Age Action’ elderly volunteers, and strengthen knowledge popularization and skill guidance for the elderly.

(3) Standardize activity implementation.

Strictly abide by regulations on the management of festivals, exhibitions, forums, evaluation and commendation activities, and the practice of strict economy and opposition to waste; carry out activities pragmatically and frugally, avoid rushing headlong into mass action, excessive layering, and assigning quotas, effectively reducing burdens at the grassroots. Adhere to the principle of public welfare first and voluntary participation of the elderly; no fees shall be charged in violation of regulations or used as a pretext to accumulate wealth. Relevant activities must comply with public order and good customs, and must not harm the interests of others or the public. Strengthen the standardized management of activities, strictly prevent lawbreakers from using the name of ‘Enjoy Silver Age’ activities to accumulate wealth, defraud, etc.

(4) Ensuring Activity Safety.

In accordance with the principle of “whoever organizes is responsible” and “whoever approves is responsible”, develop safety plans, strengthen safety management, and coordinate efforts to ensure personal safety, fire safety, traffic safety, performance safety, food safety, and other tasks. Advocate for purchasing relevant insurance for the elderly. Guide the elderly to participate in activities suitable for their physical and mental characteristics, and enhance awareness of safety protection.

(5) Strengthening Publicity and Promotion.

Implement the responsibility system for ideological work, adhere to the correct political direction, sing the main theme, and spread positive energy. Fully utilize various media and communication channels to build a three-dimensional communication matrix, tell stories of the elderly achieving, learning, and enjoying, expand the influence of activities, and attract widespread participation of the elderly. Timely summarize and promote typical figures, excellent cases, and touching stories emerging from activities, and create a social atmosphere of acceptance, respect, and assistance for the elderly.

General Office of the Ministry of Civil Affairs

General Office of the Central Propaganda Department

Secretariat of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission

General Office of the Ministry of Education

General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

General Office of the Ministry of Commerce

General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism

General Office of the National Radio and Television Administration

General Office of the General Administration of Sport

General Office of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles

General Office of the China Association for Science and Technology

General Department of the China National Committee on Aging

June 8, 2026

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