Wang Jinling lives alone with her pet dog in Beijing's Haidian district.

The 82-year-old celebrated her birthday on Sunday, the same day China's 194 million senior citizens marked Chongyang Festival, the Day for the Elderly.

The retiree used to worry she would end up in a nursing home as her health deteriorated with age and she suffered arthritis, a heart attack and a stroke. Wang's son lives a busy life and he visits her once a week.