Beijing leads nation in longevity with 80-year average lifespan

BEIJING, March 6 (Chinese media) -- A rise in living

standards over the past 60 years has added about three decades to lifespans in

Beijing, the capital's office for senior citizens said Friday.

The average life

expectancy of Beijing residents reached 80.24 years as of 2008, top in the country,as

compared with 52.8 years when the New China was founded in 1949, the

office said.

Beijing has 396 people aged above 100 years, it said,

compared with 311 in 2006, 247 in 2003 and 190 in 2001.

The office said its survey of centenarians found most

of them lived a healthy lifestyle, which included good personal hygiene, eating

sparingly and drinking in moderation. Most were also "optimistic and cheerful,"

it said.

Beijing's population neared 17 million at the end of

last year.

Liu Keqin, now 109, is the oldest person in Beijing,

according to the Beijing Daily. Although he's hard of hearing, Liu can still

take care of himself, said Wang Jingxia, his granddaughter-in-law.