124-Year-Old Chinese Woman Shares Longevity Secrets: 'Rice, Walk, Laugh'

Qiu Chaishi, a woman from Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China, has captured the attention of millions after celebrating her 124th birthday on January 1. Qiu Chaishi was born on January 1, 1901, in China. She has witnessed everything from the downfall of the Qing Dynasty to the rise of the Chinese Republican Era and finally present-day China. One of the oldest centenarians of southwestern China’s Sichuan province, she lives with a family of six generations. The youngest member of her family is eight months old. 

Despite not having her age officially verified outside of China, her birthdate is listed in the country’s hukou system, China’s household registration system, according to The Star.

Belonging to Nanchong City, She had faced many hardships throughout her life. During the Qing dynasty, many people starved to death while searching for wild vegetables in the mountains. But she survived the tough days. Before her marriage, Qiu was widely recognized for her accounting skills and impeccable physical strength and often tackled the toughest farm tasks such as ploughing fields and stacking stones.

In her 40s, tragedy stuck as her husband passed away, leaving her to raise four children alone. Despite financial struggles, she tirelessly worked to support her family. 

In her 70s, she witnessed the demise of her eldest son due to an illness. Her daughter-in-law remarried, while she raised their daughter alone. Years later, her granddaughter faced a troubled marriage and lost her husband due to illness. Now, Qiu lives with her granddaughter in a 3-storeyed rural house in Nanchong.

After turning 100, she experienced some decline in vision and hearing but remained sharp-witted and articulate. 

Qiu's Secret To Longevity

Qiu credits her simple and routine lifestyle as the secret to her longevity. She eats three meals a day on schedule, takes walks after meals, and goes to bed around 8 p.m.

Remarkably, Qiu still manages basic chores independently, including combing her hair, lighting fires, feeding geese, and climbing stairs with ease.

Her favourite dish is a porridge made with pumpkin, winter melon, and crushed corn, topped with a spoonful of lard. Her granddaughter, acknowledging her fondness for lard, revealed that Qiu now consumes it in moderation, following doctors' advice.

"My siblings, husband, and son passed away long ago. The King of Hell must have forgotten about me and will not take me!" Qiu joked with a hearty laugh.  

"Grandma never complains," said her granddaughter, Qiu Taohua. "After every misfortune, she stays quiet for a while, then bounces back with laughter and positivity."

Meanwhile, Nanchong, the city where she resides, is home to 960 centenarians, with China as a whole boasting the highest number of centenarians globally, according to the 2020 National Census.