Kunming municipal authorities have allocated 200 million yuan this year to offer free rides for elderly.

Moreover, the municipal government has provided more than 28.93 million yuan as subsidies to residents aged 80 or above.

According to statistics, Kunming has more than 800,000 registered residents aged 60 and above, accounting for nearly 15 percent of the total population. By 2015, the figure is expected to rise to 1.26 million.

A country or region is considered to have an "aging society" when the number of people at and above 60 reaches 10 percent or more of its total population, according to international standards.

In addition, Kunming’s total number of beds in the existing nursing homes reaches 13,184, which cannot meet demand. At present, about 30,000 aged people in Kunming need old-age care. The municipal government has introduced a series of favorable policy initiatives to encourage more public investment in nursing homes over the years. As a result, private-funded nursing homes for aging increased rapidly. (Editor: Ryan Li)