Longevity stars reveal their secrets

Speakers: Wu Manling and Sam Duckett 

[Photo: from VCG]

A 110-year old woman living in Shanghai's Hongkou District is the oldest resident in a city with more than 2,000 people over the age of 100.

The centenarians put their longevity down to factors which include good food, love and family.

Song Honggen, 108, is the city's oldest man and a resident of Jiading District.

The city also boasts three centenarian couples, with 104-year-old Xu Yunxiang and his wife Zhao Damei, 106, the oldest of them. They live in the Pudong New Area.

The centenarians were honored at a ceremony on Wednesday as "longevity stars" ahead of Saturday's Chongyang Festival, which falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month and is a day when respects are paid to the country's senior citizens.

While the city's residents who reach the 100-year-old milestone may differ in background, many share similarities, according to the Shanghai Gerontological Society.

Most are broad-minded, even-tempered, not fussy about their food, don't smoke, get a good night's sleep and exercise regularly. They live in harmonious relations with their families and are well looked after.

Based on interviews with 101 centenarians between 2008 and 2016, the Shanghai Gerontological Society and Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau found that 68.3 percent said a healthy diet contributed to their longevity while 48.5 percent said a regular bedtime and sleep was their secret.

More than 52 percent said they exercised regularly, with walking, tai chi and housework included.

In addition, 51.7 percent said an affectionate life partner and harmonious and warm family relationship contributed to their long lives, and 48.3 percent mentioned good care from their children as a factor.

[The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI. ]