Students study at a college for the elderly in Haidian district, Beijing, where places are at a premium. Wang Jing / China Daily

Yang Jingshuang, 67, said the smartest decision he has made in the past year was signing up for a college for the elderly to learn online surfing skills.

"Such training has increased my learning ability at a time when knowledge is largely available online," Yang said. "More important, going back to campus has allowed me time and space to plan my retirement life.

"People need more than food, sleep and shelter, and the retired are no exception.

"Time at such a college allows space for our brains and souls, which are as important."

As China's aging population grows, educational institutions catering to the elderly have gained popularity, especially in Beijing, which serves as home to around 3 million people age 60 and older. That number excludes elderly people joining their children to settle in the capital city.

However, Beijing only has 24 colleges for the elderly.

Li Ping, 65, from Zaozhuang, Shandong province, has failed for the second time to enroll at such a college. Li moved to Beijing to take care of her granddaughter about seven years ago. When her granddaughter started to attend kindergarten, Li suddenly had a lot of free time, and she doesn't know how to spend it.

"My son recommended that I study at a college for the elderly because it is not expensive and I can meet many people my age," Li said. "I wanted to learn the erhu (a two-stringed bowed fiddle). But there are too many people who want to study at the college."

According to one such college in Haidian district, the demand to enroll keeps growing every year. The college starts accepting applications for enrollment at 7 am, and there are lines of people waiting as early as 4:30 am.

Xiong Zhenchang from the college told Xinhua News Agency to meet the growing demand, it has already opened 12 more classes that can take more than 500 additional older students. Although the application period was planned for two days, applications for all of the classes were full in less than one.

Mou Lina, deputy secretary-general of the China Silver Industry Association, said the current system cannot provide enough resources for senior residents.

Colleges for the elderly are not the same as general colleges, as many older students do not graduate after one or two years of study, and some remain students for more than 10 years.

The rotation rate is lower than at general universities, Mou said.

"With more and more elderly moving into Beijing with their children, the limited elderly education resources cannot solve the spiritual needs for all of them," she said.

Mou said it is encouraging to see some high-end nursing homes and communities build their own colleges for elderly residents, a move to cater to the increasing demand for rich cultural activities for the elderly.

For example, Yanda International Health City in the Yanjiao district of Sanhe, Hebei province, which offers both accommodations and a college for the elderly, has attracted a growing number of senior citizens from the capital city, most of whom have a higher-than-average income and educational background.

Chen Pingling, 83, said he is happy living in the senior home. A fan of Russian songs, he said he enjoys singing with his neighbors in the home.

But there is still room for improvement, Mou said.

Mou suggested that the authority should encourage private capital to become involved.

"As far as I know, many private entrepreneurs want to do charitable work by donating to build colleges for the elderly," Mou said. "But the current system doesn't permit it."

"We can also try some other ways for elderly education, such as overseas study tours for elders that combine tourism and study."

Su Zhou contributed to this story.