Liu Zushu (L3 front) wearing a red costume celebrates his 103th birthday along with other elderly relatives. [West China Metropolis Daily/Yang Tao]

A centenarian villager from southwest China's Sichuan Province recently celebrated his 103th birthday along with his three other "younger" relatives at 100, 91 and 84 respectively.

The whole family, seemingly endowed with the longevity gene, has so far grown to five generations of around 100 members, with the eldest protagonist being Liu Zushu, and the youngest, Liu's great-grandson, at 2.

At the party, guests were eager to find hidden bits of wisdom and the secret to healthy living from the elderly relative. A nephew of Liu concluded that the four seniors all keep a positive attitude, drink a little wine, smoke in moderation, and always get along well with others.

"They keep a healthy sleep schedule with effective waking-up-early habits after enough time for a good night's rest. In the daytime, they just relax in the sun and sometimes play mahjong with neighbors," the nephew said.

Also, the nephew pointed out they all love to eat a local cuisine called huiguorou, which is Sichuan sautéed, sliced pork with pepper and chili. "The meat should be cooked softer than normal in order to help them when they are chewing," the nephew added.

(Source: West China Metropolis Daily/Translated and edited by Women of China)

By Li ZhiEditor: Rong Chen