Ma Zhiyuan (front left), aged 100, receives lucky money from his 103-year-old sister Ma Shifeng (front right) in Rugao. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

The number of centenarians in Rugao had reached 524 by Jan 1, an increase of 84 over the previous year, the local civil affairs bureau announced on Jan 8.

The bureau also revealed that there are 16 centenarians aged 105 or above.

Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, has made a name for itself as a city of longevity. It currently has a permanent population of 1.42 million, with 391,700 aged 60 and above, 65,200 aged 80 and above, and 9,200 aged 90 and above. 

These numbers are much higher than the provincial and national averages.

In recent years, the local government has implemented a series of preferential policies to support the elderly, including free accidental injury insurance for those aged 90 and above.

The city handed out more than 61 million yuan ($8.81) in subsidies to the elderly in 2019 and spent more than 5.4 million yuan building 70 elderly-care service stations.