Back to school for the 'silver' generation

A booming market

According to EF (also known as Education First), a global education company that organizes language courses and overseas study tours worldwide, Chinese nationals over 50 accounted for just 3 percent of its overseas study tours in 2019. By 2023, that share had jumped to 20 percent.

Most of these Chinese nationals are between 56 and 65, and many come from Shanghai, Guangdong, and Beijing — the demographic that rode the wave of China's reform and opening-up.

Benefiting from China's economic boom, this group is open-minded and has a strong desire for self-improvement, observes Ma Jing, managing director of EF's overseas study tour operations in China.

The market potential is staggering. China's silver economy is currently worth about 7 trillion yuan (nearly $1 trillion), according to a 2024 report by the China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service.

By 2035, that figure is expected to reach 30 trillion yuan. Senior education, once a niche, is projected to grow to 500 billion yuan by 2025, with an annual compound growth rate of 25.3 percent, far outpacing traditional education sectors, according to the market research consultancy Chinese Industry Research Network.

Traditional study-abroad agencies have taken notice. In late 2025, New Oriental, one of China's largest private education companies, launched the "Tulip Plan" short-term overseas program tailored for learners over 35.

The program targets three age segments, with the "55-plus" track tailored specifically for those seeking to enrich their retirement years through immersive cultural experiences.

The first offerings include an art program in the United Kingdom and a culinary course in France.

For Li Guolin, the Florence trip was only the beginning. She went on to study silk painting at Yokohama University of Art and Design in Japan in April, and learned lacquer carving from a master craftsman in his remote studio, producing a hand-carved ginkgo leaf, its veins traced in gold.