The second Rugao longevity summit forum  was held on Dec  5 in Rugao, with scholars and government officials discussing topics such as population aging, elderly care and the secrets of longevity.

Rugao, located in the north of the Yangtze River Delta region, has a population of 1.45 million. Of that, more than 400 are aged 100 and above, more than 10,000 are aged over 90, and nearly 60,000 are aged over 80. 

According to He Yijun, mayor of Rugao, the local government has worked with the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, and the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai of  the Chinese Academy of Sciences to launch a research program centered on the city's longevity phenomenon in October 2019.

The research team has surveyed around 200 centenarians and offered free physical examinations for nearly 700 local seniors over the past year. 

The program has also made initial achievements in the field of immunology and genomics, He revealed.

This year's forum, which consisted of various lectures and seminars, is expected to draw more attention to Rugao's longevity phenomenon. 

The local government will also take advantage of the opportunity to improve its services for the elderly and turn longevity culture into a new economic growth driver.