It is well known that agism is present in both Eastern and Western literature, including in school textbooks. Older people are often portrayed as insignificant, sick, dependent, boring or lonely. Younger generations may develop "gerontophobia" from such textbooks, which is not beneficial for ensuring that individuals can live happily in their old age and may impede society's ability to provide support for senior citizens. Mainland China currently has the largest elderly population in the world. This study aimed to assess elementary school textbooks in mainland China in terms of aging-related content using the instrument developed by Chin-shan Huang and to compare the results with those of previous related studies conducted in Taiwan and Western countries. This comparison illustrates the current status of aging education in school textbooks in mainland China.