Nearly 90 percent of the elderly respondents to a recent survey in Shanghai said they were satisfied with the way they are treated by their children and half of them were happy to act as domestic helpers, the Labor Daily reported today.

Citizens' Mailbox, a city government-run e-mail system that often conducts unscientific online surveys, announced the finding based on feedback from 4,400 young and elderly city residents, the report said.

The poll found the elderly have largely become "ayis," taking care of 47 percent of the housework such as shopping, cooking, and doing the laundry, compared with 35 percent done by the younger generation, the report said.

The poll was conducted before the annual Chongyang Festival, or Double Ninth Festival that falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, which is today this year. On this traditional holiday for the elderly, people customarily climb mountains or high towers.

The poll suggests 40 percent of the elderly are "relatively satisfied" with the care given by their children while 41 percent are "basically satisfied" and nine percent are "very satisfied." Only a 10 percent replied "not satisfied," the report said.

The poll indicates that just 12 percent of the elderly are willing to live with their children. About 58 percent said they preferred to live separately from their children but not far away from each other so that they can be taken care of by their children but get more privacy at the same time, the report said.

The poll also said 65 percent of young people admitted to behaving churlishly toward their parents, such as yelling at them or losing temper over small matters, on at least one occasions. About 28 percent said they always treated their parents well. Some expressed shame and regret for their rude attitude, the report said.

During the elderly festival, a snack called Chongyang Gao (cake) is served. In Chinese, the pinyin "Gao"(cake) has the same pronunciation as "Gao." (height) These activities reflect the hope that the elderly will enjoy more progress in their lives.

(Shanghai Daily October 19, 2007)