Weekend Long Read: The Micro-Nursing Homes Saving China’s Exhausted Families

Published: Jul. 25, 2026 9:00 a.m. GMT+8

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At the gates of a residential complex in the center of Bishan county, Chongqing, 90-year-old Luo slouched in her wheelchair. Beside her, 82-year-old Erge shuffled forward unsteadily while a grey-haired man surnamed Jiang held his arm to support him.

The relatively younger Lei Changming and her cousin Zhang Juanjuan busily ushered them into a car, loading the wheelchair, walking canes and a nursing bag. The group resembled a large, extended family slowly making its way out of the neighborhood.

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What Happened When

By the end of 2025：: China's senior population reaches 323 million.

In March 2026：: Lei shuts her last surviving restaurant and pivots to eldercare.

In late March 2026：: Lei and Zhang begin researching eldercare projects and sign with a company operating a residential shared eldercare model.

In early May 2026：: The seven-bed shared care site officially opens.

In 2026 (after opening)：: Lei and Zhang's first real inquiry arrives — a family seeking care for a bedridden centenarian, who stays for one month before leaving.

Throughout 2026：: 90-year-old Luo, 82-year-old Erge, and grey-haired Jiang live as roommates in a residential complex in Bishan county, Chongqing, cared for by Lei Changming and Zhang Juanjuan.

During a recent outing in 2026：: A group outing occurs to a mountain reservoir waterfall after a rainstorm; Luo suffers motion sickness on the return.

AI generated, for reference only