Avoiding gossip is secret to 113-year-old's long life

Steering clear of gossip is the key to a long life, a 113-year-old Singaporean woman says.

Returning to Hong Kong in a wheelchair seven decades after she left the city, Teresa Hsu Chih said keeping a peaceful mind was her secret to longevity.

A well-known social worker in the Lion City, Hsu said she still occasionally did counselling work.

She was speaking as a guest at event held by the Hong Kong Health Care Association on Aging a few hours after flying in from Singapore.

Assisted by a care-giver, she can communicate slowly in Cantonese, Putonghua and English.

Daily meditation was also important, Hsu said.

'You just sit in peace. Think about what pain people suffer and what you can do to share your love,' she said.