Tibet's centenarians set record

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 ◆ Tibet's centenarians set record

Most days when she wakes up in the early morning, 101-year-old grandmother Yuzhoin takes a little kettle of buttered tea with her as she walks around a stupa in her village singing Buddhist sutras.

Yuzhoin, who lives in Lhamu Village of Zhangdo Township in Dagze County, is one of 116 centenarians in the Tibet Autonomous Region, southwest China.

"I have never used a pen in my life," she says. "I've just used spades, and I know when to plant crops and when to harvest." But she does not know that she and the others have set a record for Tibet: its centenarians have increased from 57 in 1991 to the current 116, the highest number in its history.

There are 6.4 centenarians out of one million people in China, while the ratio in Tibet is 44 to one million, making it one of the Chinese provinces and autonomous regions with the most centenarians.

Research shows that all the centenarians in Tibet are native Tibetans who are used to the high altitude, do physical labor and live a routine life. They are optimistic and easy-going.

Gaisang, a research fellow with the Tibet Autonomous Regional Academy of Social Sciences, said longevity is a common wish of mankind. Despite the harsh environment of the mountainous land, Tibetans have a strong desire for longevity.

The Tibetan word for longevity, "cering," occurs frequently in folk songs and is also a popular greeting among locals who wish each other a long life. Many Tibetans are named "Cering."

Pictures of elephants, monkeys and cranes, known as symbols of longevity, are often found in Tibetan folk paintings.

Progress in medical treatment and sanitation services and an endowment insurance system in recent years have made it easier for Tibetans to realize their dream of living longer.
The average life expectancy in the region is now 67, compared with 36 before the peaceful liberation of Tibet 50 years ago.

Statistics show that the Chinese government has allocated a total of 1.8 billion yuan (216 million US dollars) to develop medical and health services in Tibet since the liberation. The majority of townships and villages in the region have established cooperative medical institutions, with the medical allowance granted by the state to farmers and herdsmen exceeding 20 million yuan (2.4 million US dollars) annually.

By the end of last year, the government had paid 287 million yuan (34.57 million US dollars) in endowment insurance.

Gaisang said Tibet should have more centenarians in the future with the rapid economic development, marked improvement in people's living standards, more balanced food distribution and improved medical, health and insurance services.