Aging and End of Life Care in China: Traditional Culture and Modern Practices

For over 2000 years, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, three pillars of Chinese traditional culture, have guided Chinese people as they approach questions of how to age and how to die. Although these traditions are still woven in the fabric of everyday life, massive economic and political transformations in recent decades have drastically reshaped Chinese people’s beliefs and practices toward aging and end-of-life care.

In this presentation, Dr. Xu Li and Dr. Baozhen Luo will share insights and stories about cultural practices in the care of the elders in China from the past to the present. Calligraphy master, Kathy Pak, will demonstrate the role of her art form in graceful aging. 

This free event is co-sponsored by the Palliative Care Institute, the Whatcom County Council on Aging and the Bellingham Senior Activity Center.