The city's biggest housing project for the elderly, in Miyun county, was completed on Monday. The only four-star property devoted to seniors in Beijing, Yaoyang International Apartment will run most of its 425 units for profit.

"As a project supported by the Red Cross Society of China, at least 10 percent of the units will be free for disabled soldiers and workers who made a big contribution to society," said a seller of the apartments surnamed Jiang.

Customers can choose to rent or buy the remaining units. Rentals cost 4,900 to 6,500 yuan per month, with a minimum rental period of three months.

The apartments will go on sale in August. Buyers must pay about 13,000 yuan per sq m. There are two options: a one-bedroom, one living room apartment or a two-bedroom and one living room apartment. Women older than 55 years old and men over 60 are eligible for the property.

"We are promoting two kinds of VIP cards. Customers can choose to pay 300,000 yuan or 100,000 yuan for a gold or silver VIP card, respectively," to get lower rent prices, Jiang said.

The apartments are decorated to the standard of four-star hotels.

All apartments are furnished and have refrigerators, television sets and microwave ovens.

Private stewards and other caretakers will staff the property, but the price for such services was not available, Jiang said.

Covering an area of about 77,000 sq m, the property is equipped with a swimming pool and exercise center. The General Hospital of the Armed Police Forces has built a medical center in the area, providing special care for seniors.

"Patients can obtain medical insurance in our center. And we have decorated the ward in a colorful and warm style to make it like a home. Patients can make a phone call directly to the nurses to get the service they want," said Zheng Jingchen, president of the hospital.

According to statistics from the Beijing municipal government, there were more than 2.5 million people older than 60 by the end of 2009. With the number increasing at a rate of 4.9 percent per year, the city's senior population is estimated to reach 3.5 million by 2020.