HUANG ZHIZHONG, 104

Huang Zhizhong, of Qiaotou village, Hezhou, attributes his longevity to reading and rice wine.

"Books represent great wealth for a humble man like me," said Huang, who has more than 100 of them stashed in his crowded bedroom in Qiaotou. He still remembers the alphabet song he learned in middle school.

Huang got a good education, but it brought him no fortune. He worked as a middle school teacher and then as an accountant for the local government. A turning point came during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), when Huang was forced to leave his job and take up farming. He found solace in books. He loved to read and learn, and he continued to cultivate himself. He believes in serving others.

"There was a serious lack of medical care and only a few literate people in the countryside, so the knowledge I got from books could help people in need," Huang said. "Service to others matters most."

He was poor-referred to as a "barefoot doctor"-yet he won the respect of all his neighbors.

To supplement his income, he also worked as a fortuneteller. Residents turned to him to know the proper day for marriage or a funeral, and many remember him consulting with others when he was in his 90s.

Nowadays, he has a lot time for reading and devotes himself to books on traditional Chinese medicine and geography.

While books keep his mind active, a cup of rice wine helps keep his body fit, he said.

"Books and rice wine are my best company, the same today and forever."

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