[Beijing Diary] The Story of Being Denied Swimming Pool Registration

"Registration is not allowed for those aged 62 and above."

Recently, I experienced a puzzling situation when I visited the swimming pool within the apartment complex where I live in Beijing, China. I tried to register a membership for my mother, who usually enjoys swimming, but was refused. When I handed over her passport showing she was born in 1958 and asked for registration, the staff quickly ran to their supervisor and came back saying there was an age limit and those aged 62 or older could not register. When I asked for the reason, the answer was simply "regulation." There seemed to be no further explanation.

A group performing square dancing to exercise their bodies in a park in Beijing, China. (Photo by Kim Hyunjung)

A few days later, I visited another swimming pool within walking distance. The situation was the same. When I asked why, they requested understanding, saying "there is a high possibility of safety accidents, and there are not enough safety personnel in the facility." I have never experienced this in Korea. Some swimming pools or water parks do impose age restrictions, but these are minimum age limits, not maximum. For example, children who are too young or too short may be denied entry. In the case of water play facilities that involve drops and could strain the heart, access is sometimes restricted for the elderly or children.

As is well known, swimming is an excellent exercise for the elderly. Thanks to buoyancy, the burden on joints is reduced, allowing for longer exercise sessions, and it is also good for building muscle strength. Of course, exceptions apply if there are health issues such as heart disease. However, my mother has no such conditions and is actually the most skilled swimmer in our family. She can swim back and forth more than five times on a 50m track without resting and performs the butterfly stroke. She even relieves fatigue by doing handstands underwater. If we consider the reason for refusing elderly members as a possibility of "potential accidents," then elderly people would be barred from entering anywhere. Like Korea, China is also facing a serious low birthrate and aging society. As of last year, the population aged 65 and over in China was 209.78 million, accounting for 14.9% of the total population. The elderly population living in Beijing alone is 4.65 million.

An elderly man is diving in the Haihe River in Tianjin, China. (Photo by Weibo)

It turns out this issue has been controversial in China for several years. Not only near Beijing residences but nationwide, many swimming pools do not accept elderly members based on age limits such as 60, 65, or 70 years. There was even a news report about a 59-year-old being refused membership renewal at a pool with a 60-year age limit. Lawyer In Chenliang, interviewed by Changjiang Daily, said, "Some swimming pools restrict customers' ages for reasons other than physical illness or capacity issues, which clearly violates the principle of fair consumption and constitutes discrimination," adding, "Consumers can file lawsuits through legal channels to protect their rights and interests." Some media also suggested looking for swimming pools exclusively for the elderly.

During my year living in China, one of the most beautiful scenes I witnessed was elderly women lined up dancing and exercising in a well-maintained large park, performing square dances, with spectators watching them generously. The lively sight of elderly people joyfully swimming by jumping into the riverbank near their homes was also heartwarming. The atmosphere where the elderly confidently occupy space without worrying about others’ opinions is quite different from that of Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu. However, after being refused registration at the swimming pool, I realized that their square dances and riverbank swimming might have been the second-best options for them.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.