The Double Ninth Festival is also a reminder that Chinese society is aging. Concerned about becoming a burden, more and more elderly people are adopting healthier lifestyles.

 

Wei Hanru is 105 years old. He grew up in a small village in the south, and loves fishing. Admiring scenes along lakes and rivers is his favorite past time, and it's here that he enjoys what he calls "the meaning of life".

 

Martial arts have accompanied Han Fuguang since he was a teenager. He joined the Chinese revolution in his early twenties, and after the founding of new China, he became a policeman. Everyday, he works on writing a Kung Fu book which keeps Han sound and fit. He is 103.

 

Calligraphy and literature are Xu Erxiu's hobbies. She turned 100 in May, and she's testing her own new frontiers.

 

The elderly are active in leading healthy lifestyles, which mean more senior citizens are joining the club.

 

Guo Ping, Deputy Director of China Research CTR on Aging, said, "Statistics from the 2005 national census show that the population of those 100 years and above has reached 30,000. "

 

The population above the age of 60 is now close to 150 million. And every year, the figure rises. Improvements in hygiene and public health care have helped. Enhanced awareness of psychology, diet and exercise means it's quite possible to live a healthy life well over 100.

 

(CCTV October 21, 2007)