To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China and the Double Ninth Festival, on the afternoon of October 7, a large public photographic exhibition Prose Poetry in October co-sponsored by the Shizhong District Civil Affairs Bureau, Shandong Pension Service Information Network and the Pension Service Information Platform of Shizhong District, organized by the Wellness Division of Shandong Janbon Holding Group, grandly kicked off at the old commercial port -- Ronghui, Shizhong District. Cheng Wenyuan, deputy director of the Jinan Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, persons chiefly in charge of the Shizhong District Civil Affairs Bureau and the Daguanyuan Sub-district Office, as well as principal leaders of Shandong Janbon Holding Group were present at the event. Representatives of co-organizers, including the China Eastern International Photography Art Association and the Shandong Photographers Association, as well as some volunteer photographers and elderly representatives were invited to the opening ceremony.

This exhibition is themed on “Prose Poetry in October”. At the exhibition, 99 elders’ faces were selected, 99 touching stories were narrated, and 99 living conditions were depicted. It showed the living conditions and life stories of elders in Shizhong District by means of photos. The character prototypes of works exhibited include not only celebrities from all walks of life, inheritors of intangible cultural heritage and globetrotters from Jinan, but also representatives of the government, public welfare organizations or agencies and ordinary elders.     

Since the recruitment notice was issued, the exhibition has received a warm response from all walks of life, and the support of more than 20 volunteer photographers, 200 elders, as well as 20 co-organizers. These volunteers include not only master photographers winning international awards, but also “Folk Artists” who are keen on photography; not only elders in their 70s, but also post-95s.

At the opening ceremony, globetrotters Liu Jiaye and his wife Yang Jiarong, who traveled more than 40 countries and regions, brought an oracle script calligraphy work. They said that narrating the elders’ stories and their inner world in the form of photography and helping more elders to realize their dreams is not only meaningful, but also innovative! No matter at what stage of life, we should never place limits on age, and ought to do what comes to mind and leave no regrets for life.

Wang Xiaofeng, director of the Shizhong District Civil Affairs Bureau, indicated, “Shizhong District is one of the areas with a severe aging problem in Jinan. Facing the increasingly serious elderly care situation, Shizhong District has given full play to the leading role of the government, seized top-level design, facility construction and key points of rigid needs, gradually established a system for elderly care service based on home life, relying on communities, supplemented by organizations, combined with health and caring, and characterized by urban and rural coverage, precisely satisfied the masses’ diversified requirements for elderly care, and continuously enhanced the elders’ sense of satisfaction, gain and happiness in the area under administration.” On the Double Ninth Festival, the public exhibition and the exploration of stories behind characters could allow more people to have a further understanding of the elderly, draw social attention to their spiritual world and inner life, carry forward the filial piety culture of Shandong, and pass down the traditional virtue of respecting, showing filial piety to and cherishing the elderly.

It is understood that the shooting location of the exhibition is Janbon Youran Pavilion Support Center, which is a high-end institution for elderly care built by the Wellness Division of Shandong Janbon Holding Group. In recent years, Janbon Group has actively made a layout of the elderly care & massive health industry, established a whole industry chain eco-structure integrating industry fund incubation, healthcare & real estate construction, industrial think-tank consultation, talent training for elderly care, R & D of products for the elderly, industry media communication, as well as elderly care institution operation, and become one of the most iconic healthcare brands in Shandong.

Ms. Guo Yuting, General Manager of the Wellness Division of Shandong Janbon Holding Group, said, “As the organizer, participating in this event is an operation that reflects an enterprise taking social responsibility and implementing public benefits. In addition, I hope that such activities could draw more people’s attention to the elderly, the aging society and the development of old-age care. We will continue to hold various public welfare activities to help the elderly.”