Chinese centenarian passes away

NANCHANG - He Er'xiu, one of the oldest people in China, has died at the age of 117 in east China's Jiangxi Province.

She passed away at 12:50 p.m. on Tuesday at her home in Wenshui Village, Yongxin County in the presence of about 100 descendants.

She was born in January 1898 and had six children. Her husband died 53 years ago in 1961 at the age of 79.

"She was an outgoing woman and was clearheaded before she passed away," said Liu Jinguang, a village official.

She drank rice wine she made by herself every day and worked out regularly, which is believed to be her secret of long life, said Liu.

The Geriatric Society of China (GSC) claimed in October 2013 that the oldest person in China is Alimihan Seyiti, a Uygur who was born on June 25, 1886. She lives in Shule County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

If verified, Seyiti could be the oldest person in the world, beating by five years the Guinness World Record of 122 set by Jeanne Calment from France. Seyiti was honored by the GSC in June 2013 as the oldest person in China after the death of Luo Meizhen in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, who was born in 1885.