Li Jiaxin (Photo provieded by the interviewee)

To fly with the wind is a dream for many, and a number of Chinese seniors are making it a reality with the help of paragliding.

Skiing has been called “white opium”, while paragliding has been compared to “blue opium” by a 70-year-old granny from northeastern China’s Jilin province, as she becomes increasingly addicted to the sport.

The hardcore granny, Li Jiaxin, has been a keen paraglider for 11 years, spending all her savings on the sport. To cut costs, she bought second-hand equipment for around 30,000 yuan ($4,467).

Li went viral on Chinese social media after participating in a reality TV show, where she gained the nicknamed "the Flying Granny”. So far, she has flown in multiple Chinese regions including Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia and Wuhan.

To extend her paragliding career, Li is building up her body by climbing, winter-swimming and cycling. “People always say that learning never ends. This lifestyle is meaningful, as every day is brand new,” she said.

Huang Ruixiang, a 69-year-old man from Wenzhou, eastern China’s Zhejiang province, is another excellent senior paraglider.

As a paragliding enthusiast, Huang has taken his family and friends with him on trips. Even though he had a pacemaker fitted last April, he still isn't finished with the sport.

Many people don’t understand his love of paragliding, which he believes is down to the fact that people standing on the ground cannot feel the thrill brought by the sport.

Statistics indicate that paragliders aged between 30 and 50 account for over half of the total group in China, and those aged between 50 and 60 make up nearly 20 percent.