The news of a pitiful Chinese old man in his 60s is drawing attention from across the world. He is reported to be abandoned by his six children and sent to the welfare facilities after sleeping out of his daughter's house during Lunar New Year holiday.
While the whole nation was enjoying Lunar New Year holiday, Huh Daxing, 84, had to sleep on the cold stairs in front of his youngest daughter's apartment in Chongqing, southwest China, from Jan. 26-29, according to a local newspaper report Monday.
He, even not able to move very well due to his sick legs, was sent to a nearby hospital for the elderly by neighbors.
Although he has as many as six kids, he underwent virtual 'Goryeojang'- an ancient burial practice whereby an elderly is left to die in an open tomb- as a result of a family quarrel over who should support their old father.
They had supported their father by turns, but last December there was a friction among the children.
It was not the first time for Huh to sleep out. While they were passing the buck to each other, he had to stay outside in front of his daughter's house in December 2011.
After all, they made an agreement with a thumbprint to support their father for one month each in turn, with the local committee of residents intervening.
Upon that agreement, on Jan. 26, his youngest son moved his father and belongings to his sister’s - who was supposed to be next turn to take care his father-, because his 'allocated term' expired.
But she packed and left her house with her family, saying that she couldn't take care her father because unlike lunar calendar, it's not one month yet on solar calendar.
Denied by the last place he could stay in, he necessarily had to park himself on the stairs, covering his body with a blanket, sometimes fed by neighbors for four days.
The neighbors contacted other children of the old man to take him, only to hear the rejection from the children who said, "It's not my turn."
In an interview with the regional newspaper, Chongqing Trade News, he lamented that he has raised them amid all sorts of hardship only to be treated like this.
The residents committee of this apartment is going to take legal action against his grown-up children to ask for responsibility of supporting their father on behalf of Huh.
It is an extreme case, but supporting senior citizens has actually become a social issue in rapidly aging society of China.
According to the report released by Aging Working Committee of China, the number of people aged 60 or older was 177,650,000, accounting for 13.26 percent of the whole population, as of the end of year 2010.
In China, one-child policy has been in force for over 30 years since 1979, accelerating the aging of society. Experts predict that the population over age of 60 will increase nearly to 16.7 percent of the total within five years.
But up to now, the rate of senior citizens accommodated is only 1.59 percent of the whole elderly population. It is even lower than 2-3 percent of developing countries. The figures of developed countries are 5-7 percent.