Young gamers may meet their match: grandmothers

Besides befriending their grandchildren, some elders joined the video game team simply to find playmates for themselves, said Fan. They can also paint, read, solve math problems, play mahjong or anything else they have an interest in.

The care home with video gaming facilities is free of charge. Fan tries to make ends meet by applying for government subsidies and uploading videos on a social media account, which he started in 2020.

The videos include daily shenanigans of residents at the care homes. His account now has more than 2 million followers on Douyin, the Chinese iteration of TikTok.

"The grandmothers' bickering with each other over small matters often get the most likes," Fan said with a smile.

"It's not easy to operate care homes for the elderly, and I hope that more young people will join my team to provide a new type of retirement home. They should have places to realize their dreams."

Fan's parents said they want to live in one of is care homes when they get older, he said. "I took that as a compliment."