A couple from Leqing in Zhejiang province have emerged to match a British couple who have the Guinness world record for the world's longest marriage. Xinhua yesterday reported that Liu Fangyao, 95, and his wife Hu Yaliu, 92, have also been married for 80 years. The world record belongs to Percy and Florence Arrowsmith of Hereford, in western England, who were married on June 1, 1925. Mr Liu married Ms Hu when he was only 15 and they now have a family of 87, including sons, daughters and grandchildren. Their eldest son is 73. The Xinhua report quoted their eldest son as saying his parents had experienced some tough times when they were young. 'After their children all had their own families, they [Mr Liu and Ms Hu] just enjoyed life and often went to see movies and dramas holding hands walking down the street,' Xinhua said. 'They were so sweet that many people really envied them.' The report said Ms Hu was paralysed from the waist down four years ago after a fall and had become more reliant on her husband. 'They can't hear clearly so they often communicate using body language,' the report said. 'Liu often tells his children that they want to live to be 100.'
