Aged Lhasa citizens enjoy free social services

09:28, October 28, 2009

The words "preferential treatment" and "free" are becoming a hot topic among aged citizens in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

There, citizens of over 60 years old can apply for a certificate of preferential treatment issued by Lhasa City Civil Affairs Bureau.

With such a certificate, the aged are entitled to enjoy preferential treatment in social services, such as buying transportation tool tickets, boarding buses or airplanes, prior access to medical services and free entry to many public venues including parks, museums, libraries and memorial halls.

Oct. 26, 2009, marks the Chinese traditional Double Ninth Festival, a day for aged people. That day, 30 aged residents in the Lhasa Social Welfare Home spent the festival together with officials from the Lhasa City Civil Affairs Bureau and the city's Aging Population Office in various kinds of activities, such as singing, watching Tibetan Opera, drinking sweet butter tea and having cakes. (Photo Source: Tibet Business)

Meanwhile, they can also visit the tourist attractions in Tibet for free and will be exempted from tickets or enjoy 50 percent discount in entrance tickets when visiting the scenic spots or places of interest in Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

Aged Tibetan women queue to wait for buses at a bus station in Tibet's capital of Lhasa. From April, 2009, Lhasa citizens aged over 60 can enjoy preferential treatment in taking bus for free. (Xinhua Photo)

Now, the average life expectancy in Lhasa is 67 years and the city has 3,564 residents aged over 80, ten of whom are more than 100 years old. On their birthdays, residents in their 80s, 90s and 100s will be given annual subsidies of 300 yuan, 500 yuan and 800 yuan, respectively.

Source: Xinhuanet