Exquisitely garbed in a traditional cheongsam dress, 76-year-old Sang Xiuzhu is one of an unlikely vanguard of elderly influencers storming Chinese social media with videos of glamour in the golden years.

Two years ago she joined the "Fashion Grandmas", whose one-minute clips and livestreams of them turning Beijing's streets into a catwalk are devoured by millions of fans.

They mix elegance with epithets of wisdom -- on marriage, love and life -- from a generation who are now increasingly integral to both the economy and online culture of China.

"Our young fans say they are not afraid of ageing after seeing grannies like us living fashionable and happy lives," said Sang.

China is getting old fast and Beijing is faced with the monumental challenge of how to provide for tens of millions of retirees.

But this has also opened opportunities for those who are financially comfortable in their dotage and able to harness the commercial possibilities of technology.

It is an economy worth hundreds of billions of dollars, craving longevity, entertainment and consumer goods, and hooked like everybody else to their smartphones.

The "Fashion Grandmas" collective has 23 main members, with dozens more fringe contributors across the country, all aged between their late 50s and their mid-70s.

They make money from pop-up ads in their videos and livestreaming product sales.

"They can sell 200 units of a product within a minute of starting a stream," says their agent He Daling.

Their videos also carry messages of inspiration, such as "beauty is not only for the young," or "even the elderly can live a wonderful life!" as well as serious messages such as call-outs of domestic violence.

One of their videos shows a man raise a hand to hit his girlfriend in a store, before a furious older woman grabs his arm and waves for him to be dragged away by security guards.

"Domestic violence is illegal" reads the text on the screen, adding that it is "shameful" to hit women.

Another shows a pregnant woman being threatened by her husband before an elegant granny has him pinned back in his chair by bodyguards and gives the woman a hug.

"The elderly should live how they want and be optimistic," Sang told AFP. "Age is just a number."

- 'Actually we know everything' -

A generation of Chinese born in the 1960s are reaching their mandatory retirement age of 60 for men and 55 for women.

These new retirees are the first group to receive higher education after the Mao-era Cultural Revolution, which scorned the "bourgeois" pursuit of learning and left a generation without social mobility.

"They are richer and highly educated," said Bian Changyong, chief executive of the Beijing Dama Technology Company, which helps run the elderly influencers' social media.

"That improves the 'cashability' and quality of China's elderly internet industry."

The value of China's "grey-haired" economy is estimated to reach 5.7 trillion yuan (nearly $900 billion) this year, according to iiMedia Research.

Bian said the Covid-19 pandemic had also pushed the elderly deeper online, hunting for shopping and entertainment.

To reach this vast untapped pool of older consumers, Bian's company also provides online courses for senior citizens to learn singing, dancing or kung fu through livestreaming channels.

"China's mobile internet industry has earned money from every group... men, women, youngsters, parents, but not the elderly," said Bian.

"This could be the last structural opportunity of the industry."

Granny Ruan Yaqing, 58, has her own video channel and uses an iPhone to reach over six million fans as she tours Beijing's history and culture.

She fell into the world of video-streaming to avoid becoming a "nagging" presence stuck at home, she jokes.

But she also carries a message on the virtues of age from a golden generation refusing to be pushed into the background of modern China.

"Young people assume the elderly know nothing," she says. "Actually we know everything."

burs-apj/gle

Related Links
China News from SinoDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Chinese TV authorities move to curb obsessive fan culture
Beijing (AFP) May 10, 2021
Beijing TV authorities have ordered online entertainment shows to promote socialism instead of "irrational" star-chasing as part of a crackdown on China's increasingly obsessive celebrity fan culture. Modelled after similar programmes in Korea and Japan, boyband reality shows such as "Produce Camp 2021" and "Youth With You" have become viral sensations in China, creating massive armies of mostly young, female fans who vocally support their favourite contestants online. Authorities abruptly susp ... read more