Founded not long ago, the Forever Green Danang Art Club, a space for seniors to learn about talents, quickly received positive responses from the community. Many seniors come here to find joy in the remaining years of their lives. They are passionate about learning to draw, sing, take photos, dance, play musical instruments and live in a sharing atmosphere, where every story of everyday life becomes a lesson, every moment brings a smile.

Space of a drawing class for the elderly in Da Nang. Photo: K.N

An elderly man is busy mixing colours and drawing a patch of mustard flowers in front of the classroom. Not far away, a woman in her 70s in a colourful floral dress chose a cat as the centre of her painting. Occasionally, they look at each other's paintings and smile with joy as if finding harmony and a bit of awkwardness in the drawings.

In another corner, a few people are passionately sketching a branch of wild crocus flowers by the fence. The brush strokes are slow but steady, like their lives that have gone through many pressures in life, now calmly enjoying peaceful moments here.

Mr. Tran Huynh Huy Thinh, the person who opened this club, said that in their old age, some people turn to painting to fulfill their unfinished wishes, some learn to bake to add a little sweetness to each day, and some are passionate about flower arrangement to decorate their living space. But above all, they come to the class to find empathy, connection and enjoy the joy of simple hobbies.

In Thinh's class, there is no concept of it being too late to start and no limit to passions because just by finding joy and excitement, that age group can not only make their own lives more beautiful, but can also inspire positive living style for future generations.

The desire to have a healthy old age, overcoming personal barriers has become a positive lifestyle in recent years.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ha, 70, Phuoc My Ward, Son Tra District, who participated in a drawing course at the club, cited a story that the world once recorded of a 100-year-old Japanese man who is constantly setting running records. In 2024, he registered to compete in three events of 400m, 800m and 1,500m at the Kyushu Miyako Land Athletes and successfully broke the world record in the 800m distance for the age group of 100 to 104.

This man's secret is to wake up at 5:30 a.m. regularly and run for about 30 minutes over a distance of about 2km, with the determination: “Not to give up halfway because this is my own race”.

Although they do not set a record-breaking goal when they get old, middle-aged trainees like Ms. Ha are still on a journey to conquer themselves in their own way.

“Studies show that participating in creative activities such as painting, cooking, flower arranging, reading can help the elderly reduce stress, improve memory and maintain mental health. Not to mention, a meaningful life is not only limited to work or family responsibilities, but also needs to open up space for personal interests. No matter what the choice is, the most important thing for the elderly like us is to maintain excitement and joy,” Ms. Ha happily said.

In the context of an increasingly aging population, creating useful playgrounds for the elderly is not only a personal need but also an inevitable trend of modern society. Where each activity comes from a common desire: to turn old age into a time worth living, not for nostalgia or regret, but to continue to explore and enjoy life.

Perhaps, in modern life with a busy pace, young people often think that only they need to conquer challenges. Actually, in reality, every age has its limits to overcome, new things to learn. The story of the gifted class for the elderly in Da Nang is a testament to the fact that it is never too late to start a new journey. And more importantly, no matter what age we are, we have the right to enjoy life in our own way to keep our souls young, to keep life forever ‘green’.

Reporting by KY NAM - Translating by A.THU