Chinese mainland has 54,000 centenarians: report

The Chinese mainland has more than 54,000 centenarians, the eldest a 127-year-old woman in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the Gerontological Society of China said on Tuesday.

Li Bengong, head of the society, was quoted by Xinhua as saying that nearly 80 percent of Chinese centenarians are female. About three-quarters of those who are 100 or older come from rural areas, he added.

Wang Feng, the society's deputy secretary-general, said the society's studies on centenarians show the keys to longevity are maintaining a peaceful mind, controlling one's diet, maintaining a routine of physical labor, having good relations with family members and living in places with a good environment.