"For centuries in China, the phrase 'four generations under one roof' was synonymous with the ideal family."

"In just a few short words, it encapsulated the dreams of fertility, longevity, and harmony to which hundreds of millions of Chinese aspired. Today, however, the country’s traditional, tight-knit family unit is under siege from a combination of declining birth rates, delayed marriages, and domestic migration. No demographic has been harder-hit by these changes than the 240 million Chinese over the age of 60. A recently published report estimates that as of 2016, the number of elderly Chinese living apart from their children had ballooned to 118 million....  [I]f the government really wants to improve the mental health of its older citizens, it must find ways to reduce the number of solitary and empty-nest elderly.... One important step forward would be to amend the country’s existing hukou household registration system. Originally designed to keep urban and rural residents in their respective places, the system now effectively works to keep the elderly — many of whom are limited to rural hukou — from joining their children in the city... Action should also be taken to address concerns over skyrocketing rents and housing costs. It is not realistic to expect young Chinese couples to bring their parents under their roofs when they can only afford to live in tiny studio apartments."

From "How China Can Help Its Empty-Nest Seniors/With millions of elderly Chinese now living alone, it’s incumbent upon the state to give them a better life" (Sixth Tone).