Anything in today’s toolbox for care for the elderly can be found in ancient China.  The question is how old was regarded as old enough to be entitled to State-guaranteed elderly care measures.  The consensus among researchers is that a typical family consisted of about five members since the Warring States period between the 5th and 3rd centuries. It was not as big as people think.  Imperial rulers were implementing a tax policy contradictory with the values they themselves advocated. The taxation system was disintegrating families. The longest history of any non-government charity organization in China was the 800 years operation of the estate built to provide for patriarchal clan members of a famous literati and politician in the Northern Song dynasty.