Members of the Fenghe Band have a rehearsal beside Hangzhou's West Lake. [Photo provided by Fenghe Band]

Dong Yunrong, 81, is a former gymnast; Tian Yonghao, 90, is a former English teacher; and Qian Liping, 62, is a former businessperson.

Despite being from different age groups and having led different lives before retirement, they regularly come together as members of the Fenghe Band, a rock group based in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province.

With an average age of over 70, the band is made up of more than 20 silver-haired music enthusiasts. In their youth, many of them had a passion for music but never imagined they would one day perform on a national stage.

After retiring, they have delved into fashion and style, learned to play musical instruments, adapted songs and participated in variety shows nationwide, all with the aim of showcasing the diverse possibilities of a fulfilling life to other seniors.

"When the music starts, I feel like I'm not in my 80s, but 18," said Dong, one of the founders and the head of the Fenghe Band. Celebrating its 16th anniversary this year, Fenghe -- symbolizing the breeze and the lotus -- continues to inspire.

The latest data reveals that China's average life expectancy has reached 78.6 years. Projections suggest that by about 2035, the number of people aged 60 or above in China will exceed 400 million, accounting for more than 30 percent of the total population.

SILVER LINING IN DARK CLOUDS

Dong Yunrong first heard songs played on the guitar before she was 20 but did not begin learning the instrument until she was 64.

She took up the hobby not for the joy it brought, but to ease her pain after the loss of her husband, who had been by her side for over three decades before passing away from septicemia in 2005 when she was 61.

The loss struck Dong like a thunderbolt. Once cheerful and outgoing, she became withdrawn, reluctant to leave home or interact with others. "During those days, I was absent-minded," she recalled.

It was by chance that Dong's son came across an advertisement in the newspaper for a guitar class at a university for seniors and encouraged his mother to sign up. She agreed.

The guitar class began with over 30 participants, but learning the instrument was not easy for the elderly. "Pressing the strings was difficult for us, and if our nails caught on the wires, it could be painful. But over time, the pain led to calluses, and we got used to it," she said.

She seized every opportunity to practice, whether while cooking or strolling along a waterway. "When I played the guitar, all my worries faded away," Dong added.

By the second semester, only four students remained in the class, including Dong. In 2009, she and four of her college mates formed a band and began practicing regularly in various outdoor venues.

Among their favorite spots was a pavilion at Hangzhou's West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Surrounded by gentle breezes and fragrant lotus blossoms, the pavilion offered an ideal natural setting for their practice. It was here that one member suggested naming the band "Fenghe."

Dong typically took one to two weeks to learn a new song. In 2010, with her son's help, she recorded herself playing the guitar and singing each song she mastered, then uploaded the videos on Youku, a Chinese video and streaming service platform.

In March 2011, one of her videos, in which she sang the song "Because of Love," garnered over 1 million views within a week, prompting one of the original singers to repost it on social media. In quick succession, Dong was inundated with interview requests and invitations to various shows, promoting her to venture out of her home to "see a bigger world."

During her performance in the final round of the reality show "China's Got Talent," which was broadcast nationwide, she sang the song on stage once again. "Can you hear me in heaven?" Dong said to her husband. "I am singing the song we never performed together at the best concert hall in Shanghai. I am very happy now, so please rest assured."

"Music healed me and gave me the strength to restart my life," she said.