The Secret to Longevity

塔坪村98岁老人刘运江与其76岁弟弟（左）98-year-old Liu Yunjiang and his 76-year-old brother(left)in Taping Village

L ocated in Shennongjia Forestry District,Taping Village of Hongping Town enjoys a pleasant climate and fresh air.Clouds haunt this Arcadian village year round;the natural resources here are well-protected.With a population of more than 300 villagers,the village is known as a“longevity village”for it has more than 10 villagers who are over 80,and two who are over 90.

Villagers here all adhere to traditional living habits.Most families eat coarse cereals such as corn,potatoes,and buckwheat that grew in their own fields as their staple foods.All vegetables they eat are grown on their own farms and are free from fertilizers or pesticides.The spring water they drink is uncontaminated. Here, the dried fruit,walnuts,and chestnuts are abundant,and the quality of the localhoney is quite good.

Besides longevity,the old in this village are in good health and most stillwork in the fields.98-year-old Liu Yunjiang is one ofthem.

刘运江每天劳动98-year-old Liu Yunjiang keeps working every day

He was harvesting corn in the field when we entered the village.His cheeks were rosy and his voice was loud and clear.Though not tall,his hands and feet were strong enough to get his work done quickly.He also grew potatoes,sweet potatoes,peppers,and cucumbers all on his own.

He gets up at dawn every day,walking around in the nearby mountains before making himself breakfast,and then goes to work in the fields.Without any hobbies,he just does farm work every day.Just like he mentioned,“To do farm work is my hobby.”

Without any unhealthy habits like smoking or drinking,Liu Yunjiang hasn’t suffered from any diseases.He can still mow pig-weeds and carry them home on foot from mountains miles away.When we proposed to visit his home,he went ahead to guide us.He was so flexible and fit that we couldn’t even keep up with him on the crooked mountain road.

Owing to the inconvenient transportation,villagers seldom go far from home,nor are they disturbed by the outside world.When Liu Yunjiang was young,he worked outside his hometown for a few years.After he was given his fields by the government,he planted his fields and hasn’t left since.He is content with his simple and comfortable life now.

长寿秘密

位于神农架林区红坪镇的塔坪村气候宜人、空气新鲜，天然资源保护完好，常年云雾缭绕，俨然世外桃源。在这个300多人的小村里，80岁以上的老人有10多人，90岁以上的有2人，是著名的“长寿村”。

长寿村的居民生活习惯比较传统，大部分家庭以自种的玉米、土豆、荞麦等杂粮为主食。吃的蔬菜也是自家种植的，不施化肥、不洒农药。喝的是未被污染的山泉水。这里干果如核桃、板栗等极为丰富，天然蜂蜜品质也好。

这里的老人除了长寿以外身体还很硬朗，在地里劳作的高龄老人随处可见，98岁高龄的刘运江就是其中一位。

我们进村时，他正在地里掰玉米。只见他脸颊红润、吐词清晰、声音洪亮，个头不高，但手脚有力，干起活来比较利索。除了玉米，他还种了土豆、红薯、辣椒、黄瓜等农作物，基本上都是他一个人打理。

刘运江没有什么兴趣爱好，每天除了吃饭、休息，就是干农活。他每天天一亮就起床，起来后先在附近山里转一圈，再做早饭，然后就去地里干活。他说：“干农活就是玩”。

刘运江不抽烟，也不喝酒，身体没有过什么大毛病。他每天从山下打的猪草都是自己徒步扛回家，之间有好几里路程，但他说没问题。我们提议去他家里看看，他便在前面带路。蜿蜒崎岖的山路，我们竟然跟不上他。

由于交通不便，村民们很少出远门，也很少受外界干扰，生活清静。刘运江年轻的时候在外打过几年工，分得土地以后就在家种地，再没有出去过。他很满足现在这种怡然自得的生活。