In a scenic eastern Chinese city some two hours from Shanghai by high-speed train, well-heeled retirees are beginning to move into a "wellness smart town" that Panasonic Holdings has built with a local partner to cater to the demands of China's aging population.
Panasonic and major Chinese health care company Yada International Holdings have built 794 condo units and 376 detached villas in the 4-square-kilometer resort complex in the city of Yixing, Jiangsu province, with owners arriving from across the country.
The development represents Panasonic's first wellness smart town venture in China and draws on more than two decades of experience in responding to the needs of an aging population in Japan. The lure for residents is an array of state-of-the-art tech features to help them stay healthy as they head into old age.