Li Changqing has made a promise to his girlfriend: If he lives to be 100, he'll marry her. It's not that far away; he's already 96 years old.

The couple met last year after Li moved into the Yishouyuan retirement community in Changzhou, Jiangsu province. They now share an apartment.

"We were introduced by a mutual friend, a volunteer who cares for veterans," said Li, a former soldier who trained at the prestigious Huangpu Military Academy when he was 19.