This story was produced by our colleagues at the BBC.
The karaoke microphone is being passed around, and the cocktail preparations are in full swing.
On board one of China’s new “silver trains” — named for the hair color of their passengers — is Daniel Ling. Along with a group of his retired friends, he’s tucking into a plate of barbecued goose, washed down with Chinese white spirit alcohol.
“We have been working so hard for many years,” he said. “I'm 66 years old. So the important thing is that when we reach this age, we must know what is the right thing to do and must really enjoy our life.”
These silver trains are an attempt to turn an economic problem into an economic solution. Every year, the proportion of older people in China grows, and lower birth rates make it harder for the economy to sustain them.
But what if specialist trains could take retirees with plenty of time and cash on their hands (among those there who have both) to places they've never been, where they could spend some of their retirement money and boost the local economy?
Huang Huang, a research associate from the China Tourism Academy, has been studying the potential impact of this plan.
“The main places where the silver trains will stop are rural areas or small towns with less developed economies,” he said. “Though these big city travelers will consume various products on the trains, after they pull into a station, they will also visit tourist attractions and traditional villages. It has huge development potential.”
In Baisha, our retirees are off the train and checking out the modest street stalls at the bottom of old two story wooden houses.
In the street, you can buy cured meats, potatoes with spicy sauce, fresh orange juice, lamb and the clothing of the local Naxi people.
If only the smallest percentage of China's retirees take a silver train, this can mean millions of ticket sales. Yet even with growth of this magnitude, these trips alone are not going to fix China's difficulties with low consumer spending — the problem is just too big.
However, economists would say, at least it's a step in the right direction.
