Elders play Ten Sounds Eight Music (Chinese: 十音八樂), a genre of local entertainment consisting mainly of talking and singing. [Photo by Shen Weibin/for chinadaily.com.cn]

It's near noon, and the activity center at Cuotou village, Fujian province is crowded with senior citizens waiting for their free lunch.

Yes, you read that right – there is such a thing as a free lunch. It's offered at Cuotou village for the village's 260 elders aged 60 and above.

According to Su Jinchu, mayor of Cuotou, aside from a free lunch, the village also offers the elders regular medical checkups, day-care services, and diversified recreational and sports activities.

"What we can do is to meet their living demands and offers as much mental care as possible," Su said.

As a typical Chinese village, Cuotou upholds the tradition of younger generations providing necessary support for their elders.

However, as more than 60 percent of young adults have sought work opportunities outside Cuotou, the senior residents were left unattended, lonely and helpless.

"Thus we built the activity center and named it as 'The Greatest Happiness'. It's happiness for not only the elders, but also for young people as they can ease their minds and focus on their careers," Su said.

The 1,200-square-meter activity center, which was renovated from an idle primary school, features a complex of an opera stage, stadium, chess and card room, reading room, canteen and rest room.

Every morning, the opera stage is enlivened by a group of 12 elders playing Ten Sounds Eight Music (Chinese: 十音八樂), a genre of local entertainment consisting mainly of talking and singing. At night, the chess and card room is full of elders roaring with cheers and laughter.

"For them, the center is just a home away from home," Su said.