Life expectancy in Hong Kong is consistently one of the highest in the world, and recently the women here trumped the longstanding longest living (Japanese women). The life expectancy for a woman in Hong Kong is 86! Men, across the board, still fall behind. See this and this.
Life expectancy aside, the elderly here are incredibly active everywhere in the city - walking the streets, climbing the stairs, pushing carts, selling vegetables. Their familiar faces and figures accompany my walks around the city day in and day out, rain or shine - the man (who Michael and I estimate is at least 90) running the orange juice stand on Aberdeen, the man who repairs umbrellas on Peel, the couple who run the hardware store on the corner of Caine, the woman who sells the best fruits and vegetables in the wet market, etc., etc. I have only seen two wheelchairs in all of my time here (but to be fair, that could be more a reflection of the inaccessibility of the city) and most elderly make their way around with nothing more than an umbrella or a cane for support. It's remarkable. Just what is it?
Clearly this is a topic of interest, as this article has been trending on New York Times' most popular list for a while now.
Life expectancy aside, the elderly here are incredibly active everywhere in the city - walking the streets, climbing the stairs, pushing carts, selling vegetables. Their familiar faces and figures accompany my walks around the city day in and day out, rain or shine - the man (who Michael and I estimate is at least 90) running the orange juice stand on Aberdeen, the man who repairs umbrellas on Peel, the couple who run the hardware store on the corner of Caine, the woman who sells the best fruits and vegetables in the wet market, etc., etc. I have only seen two wheelchairs in all of my time here (but to be fair, that could be more a reflection of the inaccessibility of the city) and most elderly make their way around with nothing more than an umbrella or a cane for support. It's remarkable. Just what is it?
Clearly this is a topic of interest, as this article has been trending on New York Times' most popular list for a while now.
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