A long life is one of the dreams that most people have. Much research has been made into how we can live a longer and more satisfying life. Bama is a small county located in the southwest of China. The population of Bama is about 240,000, but more than 80 people who live in this small county are over 100 years old and now the number continues to grow. It is one of the five longevity villages in the world, where there are over 75 centenarians to every million people. This is a standard set by the United Nations. Visitors can get there by flying from Guilin or Guangzhou to Baise city and then a 1.5 hour’s drive to Bama.

The village with the greatest number of elderly people is Ping’an village which is about forty minutes’ drive from Bama. Ping’an village is surrounded by green hills and clear Panyang River flows through the village. The carst geography is as beautiful as Guilin, which is famous for its natural landscape. Ping’an village has 5,016 villagers with more than 30 of them aged of 80 ormore, seven are 100 or more. We visited a number of them while we were in Ping’an village.

The first house we visited is belonged to Huang Ma Song Mei who is 106 years old. Itis in winter time and quite cold and we found Huang Ma Song Mei was sitting in her housenursing a fire to keep her warm. Her family runs a guest house so her 77-year-old son and grandchildren take care of the business. The old lady still likes to do some housework. Of the seven centenarians, only one is man. His name is Huang Bu Xin and he is 110 years old. This oldman took part in the revolutionary movement when he was young. He often recalls the old days.His family members span five generations and his son is over 80 years old. Many people visithim every day.

Why there are so many people there who live such life in Ping’an village? Is there someamazing secret? Many scientists have visited over the years to try to find the answer. But this isthe local people’s discoveries and conclusions:

Bama and its villages are in a remote area with few factories or pollution. The river flowsthrough a carst landscape and therefore, the water is rich in calcium carbonate. And has a PHvalue of between 7.2 and 8.5. Weak alkaline ionized water can help maintain the acid-basedbalance of blood and bodily fluids, makes the body more effective in resisting bacteria, viruses,inflammation and disease. Many people come here to collect the spring water. The air in the areais clean. The negative oxygen ions are per 3,000 cubic cm along the river side, which is ten timesthe average value in big cities. The earth magnetism is 0.58 gauss which is twice the ordinaryvalue. It is believed that an appropriate geomagnetic environment is good for a blood circulationand encourages a lower rate of cardiovascular and cerebravascular disease. And electromagnetic waves bring a better quality of sleep. The people of the area do mostly labor-intensive work whiletheir food is quite simple and vegetables are a large part of the diet. Their simple life is quiet and stress-free.

Each year, many people visit Bama and stay for a while in the hope of becoming more healthy and prolonging their lives. The elderly people are like a living history book, and they are the living treasures.

Travel to China Highlight in Bama to discover the miracle of life.