China has over 17,000 centenarians

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 01, 2004

China has over 17,000 centenarians

The number of centenarians in China has climbed past 17,000, hitting a record high, according to the latest statistics from the China National Committee on Aging.

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The number of centenarians in China has climbed past 17,000, hitting a record high, according to the latest statistics from the China National Committee on Aging.

By the end of 2003, Beijing alone boasted 257 centenarians, with three of them over 110 years old, a rise of 57 over 2001.

Female centenarians account for approximately 80 percent of thetotal, including three aged over 110 years old, and 209 centenarians, or 84.6 percent of the total, are urbanites, according to statistics of the Beijing Municipal Committee on Aging.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Beijing Municipal Research Center on Aging, the secret for longevity of those centenarians could be due much to, among other things, a natural way of living, good-quality sleep and rational eating, open-mindedness and a good temper, as well as fine family living environment.

Liu Ruocun from Chaoyang District in Beijing does not hear well, but taken good care of by his family members, the 103-year-old is still mentally healthy.

"My daughter-in-law prepares tea and snacks for me every morning. Isn't it good enough?" said Liu.

Addicted to drinking and smoking, Liu was not in good health when he was young. He gave up the habit later and never caught any serious diseases after that.

Statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs show that China has already become an aging society with a high-age population rate, and the country now has 134 million people, or 10 percent of the national total, at and over the age of 60. Experts said the figure could keep rising at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the next half century.

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