In celebration of the Double Ninth Festival, also known as Senior Citizens’ Day in Taiwan, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and other government officials visited centenarians across the country to gift gold keepsakes expressing blessings and respect.
The Double Ninth Festival, observed on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, is a traditional holiday dating back to the Eastern Han dynasty. In 1966, Taiwan rededicated the day as Senior Citizens' Day, underscoring the custom of caring for and appreciating the elderly. According to Health Ministry statistics, there are 5,262 people over 100 years old as of September this year. The gold keepsakes, in the form of the classic Chinese lock, were given to highlight the value of senior citizens as a national treasure.
President Lai personally visited 103-year-old Hakka grandmother Yeh Hsu Hsiu-ying (葉徐秀英) to gift her a gold charm and learn about her life. She lacked resources in her youth but now lives comfortably with her family, an impressive five generations under one roof.
The Health Ministry estimated that Taiwan will become a super-aged society in 2026. In response to the continued growth of the elderly population, the public and private sectors are actively cooperating on support measures to extend healthy life and delay disability. As of June this year, nearly 5,000 community care centers have been deployed and future plans for expansion of integrated medical and care service systems are in the works to actively build a healthy Taiwan.