CRI's Shen Ting has more.

 

　　Reporter: In China, the old age empty - nest families account for 50 percent of the families' total on average, with this percentage would go up as high as 70 percent in some specific areas.

 

　　Without children to take care of them, these left-behind old people have aroused much social concern for their physical as well as psychological health. In a bid to give them more care and help, a number of social organs have been set up. The Beijing Association for Marriage and Family Harmony is one of them.

 

　　According to Li Ziwei, secretary general of the association, they have arranged various friends-making activities in eight senior-citizen clubs they founded citywide within the last two years to help the aged surviving spouse with their attempt of getting re-married.

 

　　"Female senior-aged participants far outnumber male participants in these match-making parties we've arranged. We usually invite male participants to go onto the stage having a brief introduction of themselves and showing their talents through interesting performances. Female participants who feel interested would go to present him a flower."

 

　　However, Li Ziwei admits the way for their remarriage is far from smooth.

 

　　"Senior citizens will encounter obstacles in their re-marriage. But these obstacles don't come from our society, which I think is open, progressive and very tolerant. I think the pressure mainly comes from their children who consider more of the senior's property issue, including their housing."

 

　　Hu Qianna, a citizen of east China's Jiangsu province, thinks children's consideration of problems like how to handle properties and assets and the inheritance issue is a reasonable attitude.

 

　　"The re-marriage of senior citizens will definitely have an impact on re-distribution of the family asset. Since the stepmother or stepfather becomes eligible to inherit asset of their spouse according to law, children would oppose the marriage and I think their opposition surely has a reason."

 

　　Shall elderly people give way as their remarriage meets strong opposition from their children? Chen Xu, a lawyer experienced in dealing with family disputes, believes they should insist on their pursuit of happy family life.

 

　　Meanwhile, he also provides a key to solve the center problem---property-division.

 

　　"If family asset is the reason to set a pair of senior citizens apart, it is necessary for them to make pre-marital property notarization."

 

　　Liu Xuejun, a psychologist with Beijing's Hui-Long-Guan hospital, also supports the remarriage of widowed senior citizens, stressing the importance of a partner in elderly people's life.

 

　　"Aged people need to have a partner to verbally communicate with, which is conducive for their mental as well as physical health. When they are alone, they incline to feel lonely and depressed."

 

　　It is estimated China will have more than 400 million people aged above 60 by 2050.

 

　　Experts even say that "empty nest" families will become the major pattern in Chinese cities and even many rural areas, dealing a blow to the traditional family support system and requiring the government to take greater care of the material and spiritual needs of senior citizens.

 

　　Hence they have recommended improving economic and health support, building more facilities for urban and rural senior residents and encouraging them to participate in social activities.