In Depth: Why Time Banks Haven’t Caught On in China

Retiree Jiang Xiuping said she is busier now than when she was working.

One recent morning, the former accountant spent two hours buying groceries for three households of senior citizens in Beijing as part of a “time bank” program designed to foster volunteerism and help manage the country’s aging population.

It works like this: Every time Jiang goes on a grocery run, she earns credits at the time bank in her neighborhood in the capital’s central Dongcheng district. Later, she can redeem these “deposits” for goods or similar services for seniors like meal deliveries, housekeeping or just hanging out for a spell. The idea is that Jiang is paying ahead for similar services she might need when age makes it difficult for her to do the grocery shopping or run other errands.