Young people who love modeling classes and vocal music classes are bursting into the entertainment classes of senior universities.

There are more and more middle-aged and elderly people learning guqin.

Violin is a minority course in universities for the aged.

It’s not easy to enroll in a dance class.

　　For more than 300,000 senior college students in Wuhan, this week is the day for them to start school.

　　Since the first university for the aged was established in 1983, the university for the aged in Wuhan has a history of 36 years. Universities for the elderly, which constantly meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the elderly, entertainment and pension needs, change with the changes in social life.

　　The parents of the only child are old.

　　Young people crowded entertainment class

　　The largest classroom in Hongshan District University for the Aged is 230 square meters, and all five classes on Friday are given to the model class. There are 380 middle-aged and elderly model class students in this classroom, and the class is overcrowded. A 90-minute class is divided into sections every 20 minutes. The class participants are divided into two groups. One gro up practices catwalk under the guidance of the teacher, and the other group sits and watches. This method effectively solves the problem that the formation can’t get away after overcrowding.

　　"This kind of class is what the students came up with through consultation!" The person in charge of Hongshan District University for the Aged told the reporter that there are too many elderly students who want to attend the model class, and the classroom capacity is so large.

　　In the past few days, the reporter found in the senior universities in Wuhan city that, without exception, the model classes in each senior university are very popular, and every school has failed to register.

　　Because there are too many elderly students who sign up for the fashion model training class, Jianghan District University for the Aged has stipulated the registration conditions: under the age of 60, over 1.65 meters tall, dignified in appearance and elegant in temperament, and they must pass the exam, self-presentation and proficiency test, and only after passing the exam can they pay for school.

　　Song Liping, vice president of Jianghan District University for the Aged, told the reporter that taking the examination can not only select the best among the best, but also increase the mobility of students, so that more elderly people have the opportunity to study in the University for the Aged.

　　As hot as the model catwalk class, there are also vocal music classes, dance classes, electronic piano classes and Tai Chi health classes. Jiang ‘an University for the Aged has opened 402 classes this semester, with 14, 200 registered students. There are 266 full shifts, accounting for 66.2% of the number of classes started. Students who study vocal music, instrumental music, dance, fashion, opera and health (including yoga and Tai Chi) account for more than 70% of the school. Peng Kemin, deputy director of Wuhan Senior Education Research Center, said in an interview that at present, 70% of the courses in senior universities in Wuhan are recreational courses, more than 70% are female students, and more than 70% are younger people.

　　At present, the main students studying in universities for the aged are the parents of the first generation of only children. There is only one child in their gen eration. Now the children are married and independent, they are old, their lives are guaranteed, and their housework is not as heavy as the previous generation. Moreover, this generation went to the countryside, returned to the city and entered the factory, and became accustomed to collective life. When I retire to the university for the aged, I also invite my junior high school students, former "friends" and workers to sign up for the same course. In a vocal music class of Hanyang District University for the Aged, 19 students are high school classmates. This generation of old people who went to the university for the aged lacked art education in the age of educa tion, and now they are retired, so they will make up this lesson.

　　High-tech changes life

　　Unpopular become popular.

　　35-year-old Deng Wulong is one of the first few teachers in Wuhan to teach mobile photography in senior universities. In the spring of 2018, he was engaged in studio photography technology and post-production training. He found Hongshan District Senior University and asked the school to off er a mobile phone photography class. He came to be a teacher.

　　On the day of the trial, more than 60 middle-aged and elderly students came to the classroom, and most of them signed up on the spot. Deng Wulong started two classes at once, teaching mobile phone photography knowledge and post-production of pictures. There are 5 classes in the second semester and 10 classes in this semeste r, forming a complete sequence of elementary classes, intermediate classes and advanced classes, with more than 400 students.

　　Deng Wulong also held four mobile phone photography classes in Hubei University for the Aged and Hubei Community College this semester. Up to now, people are waiting for him outside the classroom from time to time and ask him to sign up after class.

　　In an interview with Wuhan University for the Aged recently, the reporter found that since the second half of last year, the mobile phone photography class has become increasingly hot and has become one of the hot courses that are hard to find.

　　In the interview, the reporter found that the number of computer classes that used to be extremely popular in universities for the elderly has shrunk from dozens of cla sses in one school to one or two classes now, and some schools have been cancelled because no one signed up.

　　"I used to play computer, but now I play mobile phone." Deng Wulong told reporters that today’s students can use computers at work, and with the development of science and technology, the functions and shooting effects of mobile phones are not much different from those of SLR except for the lens, while some retouching functions on computers are also available on mobile phones. Moreover, the mobile phone is small and easy to carry, and has other functions such as communication, which is very suitable for the elderly.

　　Schools help cultural self-confidence

　　Traditional culture courses show great charm.

　　On the morning of the 3rd, the reporter walked into the Guqin classroom of Hanyang District University for the Aged, and was suddenly attracted by the deep and lingering sound of the piano.

　　In 2017, the school was specially equipped with 20 guqin sets, and Chen Yaoshan, the fifth generation descendant of Guqin Jiuben School, was invited as a teacher, and the first class of 20 people was started. After learning, the school signed a co-construction agreement with Qintai Cultural Palace. The students in the Guqin class of Hanyang District Senior University put o n Hanfu and carried Guqin on their backs, and went to Qintai Square to carry out the activities of "Guqin Elegant Collection". This year, they also went to Fugang, Japan for an exchange.

　　Antique charm attracts a large number of tourists, and also becomes the messenger of cultural exchange. These activities have increased the students’ self-confidence and made them feel the powerful charm of China traditional culture.

　　"Now we have 13 Guqin classes with nearly 300 students!" With the vigorous promotion of the school, this excavated unpopular course has become one of the most popular courses in Hanyang District University for the Aged.

　　"Our ancient poetry has become a popular class this semester, and it is all full!" Li Yujia, president of Nanhu University for the Aged, told reporters that ancient poetry was once an unpopular course for a long time, with few applicants. After the central government emphasized the "four self-confidences", the school paid close attention to cultural self-confidence, and promoted ancient poetry through lectures and readings, which achieved immediate results.

　　The reporter learned in the interview that this semester, some senior universities in Wuhan have done a lot of work in developing traditional culture courses. Wuhan University for the Aged (Xiangjiang Road Campus) has opened new courses such as clay sculpture and sugar-turning. Wuchang District University for the Aged has opened a new class of appreciation of Chu Ci and Analects of Confucius. Jianghan District University for the Aged has successively opened the courses of intangible cultural heritage projects i n Hubei and Wuhan, such as Chu Opera, Tai Ji Chuan, Wudang Chunyang Boxing, etc. This semester, a national intangible cultural heritage project — — Han opera.

　　"I hope that these courses can be used to carry forward and inherit the traditional culture of the Chinese nation." Yu Jianxin, vice president of Wuchang District Senior University, said.

　　Some college courses for the elderly

　　Remaining balance

　　Houhu Campus of City University for the Aged: There are more than 100 classes in calligraphy, landscape painting, vocal music upgrading classes, piano, electronic organ, guzheng, cucurbit flute, Tai Ji Chuan, English, PS post-production and computer typing, and a small number of places are enrolled.

　　Wuhan University for the Aged (Xiangjiang Road Campus): calligraphy and painting, instrumental music, medical care and smart phones.

　　Jianghan District University for the Aged: Hard Pen Calligraphy, Appreciation of Dream of Red Mansions, English, Mobile Photography, Chinese Knots and Beads, Erhu, Guitar, Chu Opera, Han Opera and Huangmei Opera.

　　Wuchang District University for the Aged: literature appreciation, appreciation of Chu Ci, Analects of Confucius, reading, English, calligraphy and painting, computer, photography, clothing cutting.

　　Hongshan District University for the Aged: cucurbit flute class, 8 classes of Peking Opera class, computer class, makeup class, securities investment, smart phone, health care, clothing color matching.

　　Hanyang University for the Aged: Poetry, English, China history, cloth art, paper-cut silk screen flowers, clothing cutting, mobile phone photography retouching, baby care, flower cultivation, bonsai, Peking Opera, traditional Chinese medicine Taiji, grass-running, landscape improvement, guqin improvement, sketch, cucurbit silk improvement, piano study, cello, guzheng, harmonica, meticulous flower and bird, vocal music study and annotation.

　　Nanhu University for the Aged: Belly Dance, Hulusi Enlightenment and Harmonica Foundation.

　　Jiang ‘an University for the Aged: Painting and Calligraphy, Handicraft.

　　Text/Reporter Tian Qiaoping Xu Jinbo Guan Xin

　　Figure/Reporter Tian Qiaoping