《环球时报》英文版2025年7月25日刊发深度报道《读懂新时代栏目·生动故事讲述中国人权系列：山东沂源县民生综合体里的“种地”与“养老”——中国式现代化路径中的基层样本

编者按：

文章讲述了在乡村老龄化、空心化日益严峻的现实背景下，山东省沂源县以“为农民种地、为农民养老”为宗旨，探索构建“沂源红”幸福家园民生综合体，集长者食堂、便民浴室、卫生室、超市和理发室等功能于一体，全县已建成230处，实现养老服务全覆盖，成为中国式现代化进程中的基层善政典范。

记者实地走访沂源多个民生综合体及配套设施，与县领导、老年人、基层干部、平台运营方深入交流，发现该模式将农村养老问题与农业现代化有机结合，打通了产业发展与公共服务之间的内循环，展现出一种将“发展权”与“生存权”并重的人权实践。文章挖掘了“沂源模式”背后的制度创新与人本关怀，讲述新时代中国如何通过制度设计回应人民最真实的需要，展示真实、立体、全面的中国人权故事。

报道发出后，被海外媒体转引超300篇次，引起了海外网友的讨论。一位外国网友看过文章后在脸书平台留言表示，“多么美好的国家”，也有网友表示，“非常美丽的图景，让人感到振奋。”

摘要：

山东沂源县民生综合体里的“种地”与“养老”——中国式现代化路径中的基层样本

许福荣的生活从未如此幸福。

这位86岁的南麻街道南刘庄村村民每天上午简单打扫完家里的卫生，便和90岁的老伴一起，步行十分钟，穿过村里两条街道，来到位于村委会对面的“沂源红”幸福家园民生综合体的“长者食堂”。

这座食堂在炎炎夏日里像是一处凉爽的避风港。上午十点多，已经陆续聚集了十来位老人等待午餐开餐，大家边乘凉边聊着家长里短，热闹中透着悠闲与自在。

厨房内，两名厨师正在忙碌。热腾腾的菜刚刚出锅，许福荣老人只需花费1元，就可以享用到满满两碗菜（豆芽炒猪肉和洋葱炒鸡蛋）、一碗小米粥和两个馒头，既简单又合当地老人口味。

“在这里吃饭，实在是太方便了，以前自己做饭麻烦，儿女也常常不在身边，我们老两口有时候随便对付一口就过去了。现在不仅吃得好，也能经常和老姐妹们聊聊天，”许福荣笑着、充满感激地说道。

像许福荣一样生活发生明显改善的老人还有数万人。

南刘庄村所在的山东省淄博市沂源县，正是中国广大山区农村面临老龄化、空心化的典型代表。全县常住人口约51.5万，其中60岁以上的老年人口占比接近26%，高于全国平均水平。

此外，沂源县地处山东中部山区，沂蒙山腹地，丘陵地带占比高达99%以上，农业以种植苹果、桃、樱桃等林果为主，是一个典型的山区农业县。这里交通不便，老年人口留守问题突出，传统养老服务难以有效覆盖。

为了应对这些现实难题，近年来，沂源县创造性地提出了“为农民种地，为农民养老”的新模式——建设“沂源红”幸福家园民生综合体，集长者食堂、便民浴室、卫生室、超市和理发室等功能于一体，成为一种有效解决农村养老问题的基层样本。

2022年正式启动建设以来，通过财政投入、资源整合、平台运作、村集体反哺等方式，沂源全域已经建设运营“沂源红”幸福家园民生综合体230处、助餐服务点168处，实现全县446个行政村养老服务全覆盖，有效实现了由农村“多难”向全面振兴“多赢”的转变。

记者近日实地走访沂源县多处民生综合体，与县级领导、村干部、老年人和平台运营人员深入交流后发现，这一模式巧妙地将农村养老服务与农业现代化有效衔接，打通了公共服务与集体产业之间的内循环机制，不仅回应了农村老龄化的现实难题，也探索出一种将“生存权”与“发展权”相统一的基层治理实践。

村里开了食堂

当许福荣和她的老朋友们坐在食堂的长桌两侧享用午餐时，送餐员许立红已经穿上醒目的红马甲，骑上电动自行车出发了。

她穿过蜿蜒的山村街道，来到了一对行动不便的老夫妻家中，为他们送来长者食堂的“外卖”。这是南刘庄村民生综合体为一些需要特殊照顾的老人特别提供的服务。

50岁的许立红此前一直待在家里务农，对于她来说，这份工作不仅补贴了家用，更让她感受到自身的价值。“老人们一看到我就高兴，我也特别有成就感,”她说。

距离南刘庄村不远的范子峪村是一座小巧整洁的山村，人口只有290多人。在村中心的民生综合体长者食堂里，房丽娟既是大厨，也是唯一的工作人员。

她一边熟练地削着土豆一边介绍说：“每天都有二三十位老人来吃饭，为老人们做饭，看他们在一起说笑聊天，我心里特别高兴，觉得这份工作很有意义。”

但房丽娟并不是孤军作战，她的身后是“沂源红”幸福家园民生综合体有序的系统运作。

她所需的蔬菜、米面粮油，甚至一把扫帚，都来自县里的物资集采中心，只需在手机上下单即可。每天供应的主食馒头，则由县城里的中央厨房流水线统一生产，在早晨七点前配送到各个村里的长者食堂。

“食堂只需简单加工一下就能开餐，这大大降低了我们的劳动强度。”房丽娟补充道。

负责中央厨房运行的是政府支持的国有企业——山东鲁中食品供应链有限公司。公司副总经理李学彬告诉《环球时报》，整个中央厨房体系的运营为当地居民创造了300多个就业岗位。如今，这些标准化生产的优质产品还面向社会公开销售，并为当地学校、政府部门供餐，进一步放大了民生服务的社会效益。

在沂源大大小小230个民生综合体中，不仅有长者食堂，还有定时开放的澡堂、卫生室、便民超市、理发室、活动广场等生活服务设施，为老年人、孩童提供了“一站式”的日常照护。

在沂源县西边的鲁村镇龙子峪村，村支书董方新正在和四位村民在活动室练习他们的村歌。他指了指窗外“沂源红”幸福家园民生综合体的小院，这里汇聚了不同功能的服务设施。在对面房间内，镇卫生院的中医师就在给村民进行针灸治疗。

董方新告诉《环球时报》：“这些基础服务小，但都是老百姓天天有需求、事事能用到的，我们就是要让老人们在自己熟悉的村子里，也能享受到城里一样的便利。”

有温度的制度

在沂源，养老不是空中楼阁，而是从一顿热饭、一次洗澡、一张床铺这样的小事做起。

据县委书记张涛介绍，随着高龄、空巢、留守老年人不断增多，山村养老面临吃饭难、照料难、种地难等现实困境。许多老人“将就一顿是一顿”，行动不便者生活起居、就医购物举步维艰，而在以果树为主的丘陵地区，不少农民因年迈无力管护果园，收入和生活质量双双受限。

“一个村子都养不起一个理发店，这怎么办？”张涛说，在项目开展前，进行了逐村逐户 8 轮摸底调查，针对老年人反映最集中的需求，明确服务功能

正是这些具体而普遍的难题，催生了沂源县“沂源红”幸福家园民生综合体的探索。

不仅如此，“沂源红”幸福家园民生综合体项目在投入时遵循一村一图纸，一村一业的原则因地制宜，民生工程开始长出“村村不同”的模样。

比如在地处偏远的东里镇沂河南村，探索出了“以地养老”新路。村里通过实施宅基地复垦与土地增减挂钩项目，筹措建设养老幸福院的启动资金，建成后免费为高龄、孤寡老人提供长期食宿服务。与此同时，村集体还发展猕猴桃种植，通过农业产业反哺养老服务，实现良性循环。

今年89岁的刘文美和86岁的张祥美，是幸福院的常住住户。两人合住一个朝阳的房间，屋内干净整洁、采光良好。“住在这里，住得好吃得好，每天还能和老姐妹们聊聊天，孩子也放心得很，”刘文美说。

在历山街道沂河头村，葡萄成了支撑养老服务体系的“致富果”。在村书记宋上叶的带领下，村里大力发展巨峰、阳光玫瑰等优质葡萄品种，引入现代化种植技术，并聘请专业技术人员指导生产。2024年，沂河头村通过葡萄种植和销售，村集体经济收入超过40万元，其中用于老人就餐服务的投入约为18万元，为民生综合体的运行提供了坚实支撑，实现了自给自足。

而在拥有区位和生态优势的龙子峪村，则发展出了以“文旅+养老”结合为特色的新模式。老宅变酒店、空院变艺术空间，“露营地+乡村厨房”模式吸引了不少年轻人周末前来打卡。法国建筑大师保罗•安德鲁也曾慕名在此短居创作，令这个山村逐渐成为区域文旅产业的新亮点。

“沾着泥土、带着露珠”

“沂源红”幸福家园民生综合体不是一个孤立的养老平台，而是一个贯通服务、治理与产业的基层网络体系，为农村养老提供了一整套务实可行的解决方案：通过长者食堂带动公益岗位就业，通过集体经济反哺养老支出，通过系统化平台延伸社会治理触角，让养老服务真正嵌入乡村日常生活。

这是一种“沾着泥土、带着露珠、冒着热气”的办法。

张涛认为，沂源的养老探索之所以能持续推进，关键在于坚持以人民为中心的治理理念，把人权保障真正融入制度设计与执行全过程。“不是说我们把设施建完了、钱给了就完了，而是要通过机制把它运转起来，要让它长出来、活下去。”

“村党支部书记就是乡村振兴CEO，我们要把他们培养成有情怀、有能力、有担当的带头人，”他说。

沂源也在尝试未来的养老解决方案，将创新技术融入其中。

在东里镇，沂源县已建成智慧居家养老服务平台，目前已覆盖全镇18个村、221户重点老年人家庭。这一平台为老人家庭统一配备智能终端机等设备，并接入县级养老服务指挥平台，实现远程监测与响应联动机制。

老人可以通过终端与专业人员取得联系，进行健康咨询。一旦老人在家中出现意外，养老机构人员可第一时间响应上门进行帮扶。

“下一步，我们还要把这套机制梳理提炼，形成一套可以推广的制度经验，为贵州、云南等山地老龄化地区提供借鉴，更好地运用到乡村振兴成果。”张涛说。

据新华社报道，经过持续努力，截至2020年底，中国9899万农村贫困人口已全部脱贫，832个贫困县、12.8万个贫困村全部摘帽。中国脱贫攻坚的成功经验证明，贫困问题归根结底是怎样对待人的问题，以人民为中心的发展思想是推动脱贫攻坚的根本动力。

在沂源，许福荣和老伴吃完午饭，互相搀扶着往家走，回去的路因为爬坡，要走15分钟；许立红还要为下一户人家送饭；而房丽娟计划着明天给村里的老人包包子。

当幸福不再是遥不可及的“工程目标”，而是老百姓每天能感知、能依靠的生活细节时，这正是“以人民为中心”最鲜活的人权实践样态。

文章原文：

Elderly villagers gather to enjoy lunch at the senior canteen in Nanliuzhuang village, Zibos Yiyuan county, East Chinas Shandong Province, on July 23, 2025. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

Editors Note:

Chinas human rights stories are unfolding in a new era of comprehensive deepening reform and historic changes. It is a key component of Chinas poverty alleviation and whole-process peoples democracy, a thorough reformation in judicial, medical insurance, and other key sectors related to the national economy and peoples livelihoods, as well as a combination of numerous impressive and inspiring individual stories.

To be nurtured in youth, educated, secure gainful employment, receive medical care when ill, cared for in old age, have a place to live, and supported when weak... these are the concrete embodiments of human rights, demonstrating that the greatest human right is the right to the happiness of the people.

For a long time, politicians and media outlets in a handful of countries have remained hostile and prejudicial toward China, leading to a lack of understanding among foreign audiences when it comes to the concepts and achievements of Chinas human rights development. But what is revealed in the daily lives of the Chinese people speaks to the most basic truth: Rights to survival and development are fundamental human rights.

The Global Times is launching a series of articles, telling vivid stories about upholding human rights in the new era. We expect the series to become a window through which more foreign readers will understand how Chinese people recognize human rights and what efforts they have made to fight for and fully enjoy human rights in their daily lives.

A view of the “Yiyuanhong“ Happy Home Livelihood Complex in Fanziyu village, Yiyuan Photo: Shan Jie/GT

Life has never been happier for Xu Furong.

The 86-year-old resident of Nanliuzhuang village starts each morning with a bit of light housework. Then, hand in hand with her 90-year-old husband, she walks for about 10 minutes, crossing two streets to reach the “senior canteen,“ which offers elderly residents convenient services at the “Yiyuanhong“ Happy Home Livelihood Complex located just across from the villages Party committee office.

During the heat of summer, the senior canteen offers a refreshing and comfortable haven. By around 10:30 am, more than a dozen senior residents have gathered, waiting for lunch while chatting casually as they cool off - relaxed and content in the lively atmosphere. In the kitchen, two cooks efficiently prepare fresh dishes. For just 1 yuan ($0.14), Xu Furong enjoys two hearty food courses - stir-fried bean sprouts with pork and scrambled eggs with onions - along with a bowl of millet porridge and two steamed buns.

Simple, tasty, and tailored to the local senior palate.

“Having meals here is just so convenient,“ Xu said with a grateful smile. “Cooking for ourselves used to be troublesome, and our children arent always around. My husband and I would often just make do. But now we eat well and get to chat with old friends every day.“

Xu is just one of tens of thousands of seniors whose lives have improved significantly due to the establishment of senior canteens.

Yiyuan county, located in East Chinas Shandong Province and home to Nanliuzhuang village, represents a typical aging rural area in Chinas mountainous regions. With a total population of about 515,000, nearly 26 percent are aged 60 and above - well above the national average.

The county sits in the central mountainous region of Shandong, nestled in the Yimeng Mountains. Over 99 percent of its terrain is hilly, and local agriculture revolves around fruit cultivation - mainly apples, peaches, and cherries. The rugged geography and scattered aging population make traditional eldercare services difficult to implement.

To address these challenges, Yiyuan has pioneered a new model in recent years: “Farming for farmers, caring for farmers.“ At the core is the “Yiyuanhong“ project, which integrates facilities including senior canteens, public bathhouses, barbershops, health clinics, and convenience stores.

This model has become a grassroots blueprint for resolving eldercare issues in rural China. Since its launch in 2022, through public funding, resource integration, platform operations, and collective village support, Yiyuan has established 230 Happy Home Livelihood Complexes and 168 food assistance stations, achieving full eldercare coverage across all 446 villages in the county.

Two elderly villagers chat over lunch in Nanliuzhuang village, Yiyuan on July 23, 2025. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

A dining hall in our village

While Xu Furong and her old friends enjoy lunch at the long tables in the dining hall, meal delivery worker Xu Lihong dons her bright red vest and sets off on her electric scooter.

She weaves through the winding village lanes to deliver a hot meal to a senior couple with limited mobility. This special delivery service is part of the Nanliuzhuang complexs offering for those who need extra care.

Previously a full-time farmer, 50-year-old Xu Lihong said the job not only supplements her family income, but also gives her a sense of fulfillment. “The seniors light up when they see me. I feel very accomplished,“ she said.

In the nearby village of Fanziyu, a small, tidy mountain community of just over 290 residents, Fang Lijuan is the head chef, as well as the only employee at the local senior canteen.

As skillfully peeling potatoes, she explained, “Every day we serve 20 to 30 seniors. Cooking for them and seeing them chatting and laughing together makes me genuinely happy. This job feels meaningful.“

But Fang does not work alone. Behind her is a well-organized system that supports every aspect of operations.

Everything she needs, from vegetables to cooking oil to a broom, comes from a county-level supply center. She simply places orders via her phone. The steamed buns served daily are produced in a centralized kitchen in the county seat and delivered to each village dining hall before 7 am.

“The kitchen staff here only needs to do light prep work before meals. It really reduces our workload,“ Fang added.

The centralized kitchen is operated by the Luzhong Food Company, a government-supported enterprise. Li Xuebin, the companys deputy general manager, told the Global Times that the facility has created more than 300 jobs for local communities.

The high-quality, standardized food products are also sold to the public and supply meals to local schools and government departments, further amplifying the projects social benefits.

Each of Yiyuans 230 Happy Home complexes features not only a senior canteen, but also regularly operating bathhouses, barbershops, health clinics, convenience stores, and activity squares, providing “one-stop“ daily care for senior villagers.

In Longziyu village on the western edge of Yiyuan, village Party chief Dong Fangxin was rehearsing the village anthem with four residents in a community activity room.

He pointed out the window to the courtyard of the Happy Home complex, which houses various service facilities. In a room across the yard, a doctor from the township hospital was performing acupuncture treatments for villagers.

“We want to make sure seniors can enjoy the same convenience in their own villages that city dwellers do,“ Dong told the Global Times.

A system with warmth

In Yiyuan, eldercare is not some distant policy ideal - it starts with a hot meal, a clean bath, and a warm bed.

According to county Party chief Zhang Tao, as the number of seniors living alone or without family continues to rise, eldercare in mountain villages faces the triple difficulty of food, daily care, and farming. Many senior residents eat one meal across two sittings or skip meals entirely. Those with limited mobility struggle with daily tasks, medical care, and shopping.

Meanwhile, older farmers in hilly fruit-growing areas often cant tend to their orchards, limiting both their income and quality of life.

“How can one small village afford to keep a barber shop running?“ Zhang asked. Before the project launched, authorities conducted eight rounds of surveys, visiting each household to identify the most urgent needs of seniors and tailor services accordingly.

These widespread yet specific issues gave birth to the Yiyuanhong model.

Whats more, the program follows a “one village, one blueprint; one village, one industry“ approach. Each Happy Home Livelihood Complex is uniquely designed and integrated into a suitable industry.

For example, in the remote village of Yihenan, a novel “unused land-for-elderly-care“ system was developed. The village reclaimed unused residential land and implemented a land adjustment scheme to raise initial funds to build the Happiness Home Livelihood Complex.

Now completed, the facility offers free long-term food and lodging to senior residents in need. The village collective also launched a kiwi fruit farming operation, using the income to sustain eldercare, a virtuous cycle.

Liu Wenmei, 89, and Zhang Xiangmei, 86, two sisters-in-law, are full-time residents of the Happiness Home Livelihood Complex. “We eat and live well here, and I get to chat with my old friends every day,“ said Liu.

In Yihetou village, grapes have become the key to eldercare funding. Led by Party chief Song Shangye, the village has cultivated premium varieties like the popular Kyoho and Shine Muscat, introduced modern farming methods, and hired experts to oversee production.

In 2024, grape farming and sales brought in over 400,000 yuan for the village. Around 180,000 yuan was used for senior dining hall - providing solid support for the complexs operations while achieving financial self-sufficiency.

In Longziyu village, where geographical and ecological advantages abound, a new model combining “cultural tourism + eldercare“ has emerged. Old houses have been transformed into hotels, abandoned courtyards into art spaces, and the “camping + village kitchen“ experience draws young urbanites on weekends.

Even French architect Paul Andreu lived here for inspiration, helping the mountain village become a new highlight in the regions tourism industry, the Global Times reporter learned while visiting the village.

Villagers sing together during a group activity in a recreation room at the “Yiyuanhong“ Happy Home Livelihood Complex in Longziyu village, Yiyuan on July 22, 2025. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

A down-to-earth solution

The Yiyuanhong is not a stand-alone care platform - it is a grassroots network linking services, governance, and industry to offer a practical, replicable rural eldercare solution.

It creates public service jobs through senior dining halls, funds eldercare through collective economic revenue, and extends social governance through systematic platforms. In doing so, it truly embeds care into rural daily life.

Party Chief Zhang believes the success of Yiyuans model lies in its people-centered approach. “Its not just about building the facilities or handing out money. The mechanism must be activated. It has to take root and thrive.“

“Village Party chiefs are essentially the CEOs of rural revitalization,“ he said. “We must train them to be dedicated, capable, and responsible leaders.“

Yiyuan is also integrating future-oriented technologies into its eldercare system.

In Dongli township, the county has established a smart home-based eldercare platform, now covering 18 villages and 221 key senior households.

Each home is equipped with smart terminals connected to a county-level command center, enabling real-time monitoring and emergency response.

Through the system, seniors can consult with professionals remotely. If an emergency arises, care providers are dispatched immediately.

“Our next step is to refine this model into a set of transferable practices,“ Zhang said, “so it can serve mountainous aging regions like Southwest Chinas Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, and further support rural revitalization efforts in rural vitalization and beyond.“

Through continuous efforts, the final 98.99 million impoverished rural residents in China were all lifted out of poverty, and all 832 impoverished counties and 128,000 villages were removed from the poverty list by the end of 2020, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

In Yiyuan, Xu Furong and her husband, after lunch, help each other on the 15-minute-long uphill walk back home. Xu Lihong heads out to deliver meals to the next household. And Fang Lijuan is already planning to make dumplings for the village seniors tomorrow.

When happiness is no longer a distant “project goal“ but a daily experience the people can see and feel, that is the most vivid expression of a people-centered approach to human rights.

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