Hongkongers' retirement dreams in Dongguan resort cut short by economic realities

The growing number of elderly returning home from the mainland has forced the largest retirement village in Dongguan, Guangdong, to give up its exclusive service for Hongkongers.

The 27-hectare Kornlake Villa Resort in Zhangmutou was built by a Hong Kong investor targeting the city's retirees 10 years ago.

But the number of residents has dropped from about 300 six years ago to only 103 as of last month, due to rising costs on the mainland and the trend of older people returning to Hong Kong for cheaper medical services.

Most elderly living on the mainland are not entitled to any medical benefits, not even a free ambulance ride.

Resort chairman Xu Lei said the decision to open the village to locals was due to the lack of action by the Hong Kong government to improve the lives of people retiring on the mainland, as well as the local demographic pressure faced by Guangdong, where the number of seniors now exceeds 10 million.

Lawmaker Tam Yiu-chung, a former chairman of the Elderly Commission who has visited the village, urged the government to buy places there for Hong Kong seniors.