A group of elderly people practice tai chi in Rugao. [Photo/VCG]

The latest statistics from the civil affairs bureau of Rugao reveals the number of centenarians in the county-level city has reached a record high of 590. Among them, 24 are aged more than 105 years, with the eldest resident celebrating 109 years of life.

Renowned for the longevity of its residents, Rugao has a registered population of approximately 1.37 million. Within this demographic, there are 75,166 individuals aged 80 or above, and 14,033 aged 90 or above, making the proportion of long-lived residents three times the standard set by the United Nations.

In recent years, Rugao has been actively enhancing its elderly care service system and expanding effective service provisions. In 2023 alone, it upgraded 12 rural elderly care centers, added 80 home care beds for the elderly, and implemented age-friendly transformations for 400 households. The city also allocated a total of 10.7 million yuan ($1.5 million) to public and private elderly care institutions, and distributed 58.5 million yuan to 74,388 elderly residents aged 80 and above.