Hezhou in Guangxi, the 1st longevity city in China

Scenery of Zhaoping county, Hezhou city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.[Photo/IC]

Hezhou in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is China's first "Longevity City", according to Longevous Hezhou, a report released in early January by Professor Li Yonghua, a member of the International Experts Committee on Population Aging and Longevity.

The prefecture-level city is located in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and was established in 2002. It administers two urban districts and three counties - Zhaoping and Zhongshan counties and Fuchuan Yao autonomous county,each was certified as a "China's longevity village", making Hezhou the only city in China to cover so many longevity counties.

Until now, the number of residents above the age of 60 accounts for 19.91% of the whole population. There are 68,301 residents over 80 and 474 over 100 years old.

Although the city is not big, there are still a lot of highlights for visitors. Apart from the stunning natural scenery of the countryside, festivals and customs of local ethnic minorities are also worth exploring, such as the Qignren (equivalent to Valentine's Day in the West) festival of the Yao ethnic minority. Other attractions include Huangyao ancient town, which is over 9,000 years old and Guposhan National Forest Park, where you can enjoy folk performances and learn about the marriage customs of different minorities.