Luo Meizhen, a 125-year-old woman from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has been crowned the country's oldest person, according to a list published by the China Gerontological Society (CGS) Monday, Xnhua reported.
Born on July 9, 1885, the Chinese super centenarian is likely one of the oldest living people in the world, second only to Turinah, an Indonesian woman who claimed to have been born in 1853.
The annual ranking project began June 1 and considered 173 candidates from around the country.
It was the first time Luo had been nominated. She is two years older than the man who topped the last two years' rankings.
The average age of the 10 oldest people on the list is 119 and the youngest is 117 years old.
Five people on the list come from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Average life expectancy had been increasing in China, said Li Bengong, head of the CGS.
The number of people over 100 years old on the Chinese mainland was 43,708, according to this year's CGS census, 3,316 more than last year.
A favorable environment, peace in mind and modest diet were commonly believed to be factors contributing to their longevity, Li said.