Unique village with many long-lived people in Nghe An

Mrs. Dang Thi Tram was born in 1920, in Ngoc Doai village, Quynh Ngoc commune, Quynh Luu district, just turned 100 years old, an age rarely seen in the past, but Mrs. Tram is still healthy and agile. Every day, she still cuts vegetables, does housework, feeds chickens like 60, 70 year old women. During harvest time, when the children in the house are busy, Mrs. Tram goes to the garden to pick vegetables, cook rice and help with housework.

A corner of Ngoc Doai village, Quynh Ngoc commune, Quynh Luu district. Photo archive.

At the age when she should be resting, but for Mrs. Tram, while still healthy, she just wants to work and help her children and grandchildren. Mrs. Tram shared: "Every day when I wake up, I see the yard is dirty, so I take a broom to sweep, feed the chickens, and go to the garden to pick grass. Now if I lie down, I will feel more tired, and when my children come back from far away, they will be happy to see that she has lived a long life but is still clear-headed and healthy like this."

Mrs. Dang Thi Tram in Ngoc Doai village, Quynh Ngoc commune (Quynh Luu) is 100 years old this year but she is still healthy and helps her children with housework. Photo: Viet Hung.

As for Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dien, born in 1918 in the same village as Mrs. Tram, this year she turns 102 years old but her back is still straight, her skin is still rosy and she is clear-minded. Mrs. Dien has 6 children, 14 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. Mrs. Ho Thi Huong, the eldest daughter-in-law of Mrs. Dien, said that from a young age until now, her mother, like many others, has worked hard in the fields but rarely gets sick. If she is slightly sick, she gets well after a few doses of medicine.

Having her in the house gives the children more strength because she helps with the housework. Knowing that she is old and has a hard life, her children and grandchildren encourage her to rest, but because she is still healthy, she likes to be active and do housework to help her children and grandchildren and to stay healthy.

Ms. Tram and Ms. Dien are just some of the "long-lived" elderly people in Ngoc Doai village. Currently, in the village, there are many elderly people who are over 100 years old and many are about to turn 100. According to statistics, in 2020, the whole Quynh Ngoc commune had 655 elderly men and women aged 60 and over. Ngoc Doai village alone has 245 elderly people over 60 years old, accounting for more than 1/3 of the elderly people in the whole commune. Of which, 55 are 80 years old, 100 are over 90 years old. Especially on the occasion of wishing longevity to the elderly who turned 100 years old on the occasion of the recent Canh Ty spring, Quynh Ngoc had 5 elderly people, all of whom lived long in Ngoc Doai village and were all elderly women.

Ngoc Doai village is located in the center of Quynh Ngoc commune, Quynh Luu district.

Mr. Ho Ngoc Hoang - Vice Chairman of Quynh Ngoc Commune People's Committee commented: Ngoc Doai village is known to have many long-lived people, especially the number of people aged 100 years and older is the highest in the commune. This village is surrounded by Thai river, fertile land, and lush crops. People often catch fish, fish sauce, and pick water mimosa to eat, so it is possible that natural food sources and a clean living environment have affected the longevity of people here.

Recently, the locality has implemented a campaign led by the Commune Fatherland Front Committee, with the entire population taking care of the elderly. By each household supporting and donating 10,000 VND to raise funds. On the occasion of longevity celebrations, the donated money will be given to the villages to use for activities, visiting and giving gifts to the elderly. Through this, the elderly are encouraged to live happily and healthily, and to be a spiritual support for their children and grandchildren..

In Ngoc Doai village, where many old ladies live long lives, people here say that in order to live so long, the old people in the past used local food sources by hunting fish in the river, going to the fields to pick vegetables to eat...Although there is no scientific research to prove that food sources are the secret to helping people here live long.

However, a unique feature of Ngoc Doai village today is that it still maintains a self-sufficient production method. The agricultural products and food here are only sold by the people, but rarely bought.