Moving in

In January 1999, Pu and her friends purchased the building and named it the Cizhou Nursing Home, vowing to offer each other mutual assistance and to pull together in times of trouble.

The first task was renovating the property to make it suitable for habitation. Again, Pu and her friends raised tens of thousands of yuan to buy beds, refurbish bathrooms and build a kitchen.

In 2000, they moved into the building and welcomed like-minded older people to join them.

"It was not a real nursing home as there were no supervisors, nurses, doctors or cleaners. Everything depended on us," Pu said.

"That's why we only accommodated elderly vegetarians who could take care of themselves, believed in Buddhism and were willing to pay 100 yuan into a pool every month to meet expenses like water and electricity bills."

Although no official records were kept, Pu said the building was once home to up to 22 elderly people age 60 and older.

She said they lived like most elderly people, only they showed more love and care for each other.

Chen Jifen, a friend of Pu who lived in the house, said: "We took turns to cook, we shopped in the supermarket and we worshipped Buddha together every day. The seniors' children brought food during their visits as well."

Chen said if anyone was seriously ill, they would contact his or her relatives and ask them to take the elderly person to the hospital. Residents looked after those with chronic illnesses, administering their medication and washing their clothes.

Yao Peifen, who lived at Cizhou Nursing Home, said it was an ideal life for her being with friends her own age. "My children were busy working, and I'd rather not bother them to look after me every day," she said.