Seniors collect a free lunch at a canteen in Wangjiaquan village in Yiyuan on Wednesday. ZHAO DONGSHAN/FOR CHINA DAILY

Solutions in action

Party secretary of Yiyuan county, Zhang Tao, said pressing questions from the people are what drove the creation of the Yiyuanhong project.

"What happens when elderly villagers eat the same meal all day, or even for two or three days?

"How can aging farmers tend their orchards when they can no longer work the land?

"Who will help them shop or see a doctor when they live alone?"

To address the urgent concerns of these seniors, officials conducted door-to-door surveys across every village, eight times, before launching the project.

Spreadsheets at the county civil affairs bureau frequently highlighted questions related to advanced age and isolated elders.

These groups faced hardships such as irregular meals, untreated illnesses and farmland they could no longer maintain.

After three months of surveys, county officials concluded the four core needs of meals, medical care, bathing and shopping.

To meet these needs, the county began repurposing abandoned properties.

Vacant halls, collectively owned buildings and unused homesteads were transformed into livelihood complexes.

In Longziyu village, a complex was developed around the village Party office and the old cultural halls with a canteen, bathing room, clinic, hairdresser and leisure center.

The village has a population of 649, with 191 aged 60 and above.

"I used to wait until my hair was too long before going to town for a haircut," said Dong Jiyun, 66, touching her freshly trimmed hair. "Now I can get a cut anytime — right at my doorstep."

Once a week, doctors from the county traditional Chinese medicine hospital visit Longziyu to provide free acupuncture and blood pressure checks for the villagers.

Efficient operation

In Yihetou village's canteen stock room, sacks of rice and flour are neatly arranged alongside fresh vegetables such as winter melon, cabbage and potatoes. Each item is labeled with the recipient's name, product details, quantity and sorting date.

This supply comes from the county's centralized procurement center located in the urban area of Yiyuan.

Canteen staff place delivery orders via their smartphones to order the food they need.

Behind this operation lies a sophisticated logistics network that works through the night. At 1 am, the procurement center is brightly lit as workers inspect and sort fresh meat, while newly arrived vegetables from local farms are tagged and packed into crates.

By 7 am, these ingredients are loaded onto trucks destined for the central kitchen, also in the urban area, for preliminary processing. At the central kitchen, steamed buns, prewashed and precut vegetables are prepared to be sent out to the canteens.

Operated by Shandong Luzhong Food Supply Chain Co, a county government-supported enterprise, the system ensures that the final stage of cooking is simple.

"We provide food such as washed vegetables to village canteens, which only need to do the final cooking. This significantly reduces labor while maintaining food quality," said Li Xuebin, deputy general manager of Luzhong.

The food supply model connects local farms, processing facilities and elderly care centers, he said.

"We've created over 300 local jobs through this supply chain," said Li. "The standardized meal production has expanded beyond senior care, and now also serves local schools and government offices while contributing to the regional economy through public sales of surplus products."