China is to establish a longevity gene base by taking samples from the long living people of northwest Xinjiang's Uygur Municipality.

Over the years, the Hetian area in Xingjiang has become world famous for its ageless inhabitants and their special genes, criengish.com reported Wednesday.

The Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science, the leading institution in this project says it has collected about 150 blood samples from locals aged 90 or over, and even 30 samples from those who have made it into triple figures.

Xinjiang had 1,450 centenarians by the end of 2000, an increase of 435 compared to 1990.

The centenarians in this area account for 8 percent of the nation's total, a statistic only surpassed by Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangdong and Sichuan Provinces.

(CRI June 24, 2004)