Dong Nai For nearly a week now, every day the family of 119-year-old Trinh Thi Khong has welcomed strangers to visit and talk to her after a video of her was shared on social media.
Mrs. Trinh Thi Khong in Binh Loc commune, Long Khanh city, born in 1905, is originally from Trieu Son district, Thanh Hoa province.
In her youth, she married a man from the same village and had three children. In 1950, her husband died in the resistance war against the French. She later remarried and had four more children over the course of 10 years.
After 1975, Mrs. Do Thi Ninh (now 82 years old), Mr. Khong's second daughter, got married in Long Khanh City, Dong Nai, so Mr. Khong followed his son to the South to live. A few years later, his youngest son also went to the South to make a living, leaving 5 people in the North.
Ms. Trinh Thi Khong, 119 years old, with her grandchild at home in Binh Loc commune, Long Khanh city, Dong Nai, March 2024. Photo: Ngoc Ngan
Living with her daughter in Dong Nai, every few months, Mrs. Khong takes the train or bus back to Thanh Hoa to visit her family, even when she is over 80 years old. The woman believes that regular exercise and not relying on her children and grandchildren are the secrets to helping her live a long, healthy and clear-minded life in old age.
"He doesn't like to bother anyone," said Mrs. Ninh. "He's clear-headed, never takes the wrong bus or encounters any difficulties along the way."
Even though she is 100 years old, she still loves working. Neighbors say that every day they see her waking up at dawn, weeding the yard, sweeping the house and taking care of the garden. Not only that, she also helps her family peel jackfruit and peanuts. "If her children and grandchildren stop her from doing it, she will be angry because the work makes her feel healthy and alert," said Mrs. Ninh, adding that this is also the reason why, even though she is 119 years old, she still remembers the faces and names of all her children, grandchildren, and in-laws, nearly 110 of them.
Mr. Khong is an emotional person, teaching the family to be united. Mr. Thanh Xuan, 60 years old, his grandson, said that they have two reunions: Tet and his birthday celebration in June every year. Because the number of members in the extended family is very large, they divide their visits to visit him into two to four sessions. Mr. Khong told his children and grandchildren that they do not need money, just seeing each other is a joy.
She taught her children from a young age that siblings must give in to each other. Mrs. Ninh said that even now, one is from the South and the other from the North, but they still maintain weekly phone calls. "Outsiders don't know that we are siblings," Mrs. Ninh said. "Even the in-laws are very loving."
In 2022, Ms. Ninh's husband passed away at the age of 96. The family had to take Mr. Khong to a relative's house 15 km away to hold his funeral. After the funeral, Mr. Khong returned home and kept asking where his son-in-law had gone. The family hid the news and said he had gone to the temple and visited relatives. After she kept asking, everyone told the truth, she was sad and cried a lot because she missed her son-in-law.
Children and grandchildren held a birthday party to celebrate the 113th birthday of Trinh Thi Khong. Photo: Provided by the character
Three years ago, Mr. Khong fell and broke his bones, became seriously ill, and his health has clearly weakened. He depends on his daughter and three grandchildren who live with him for food, bathing, and laundry.
Every day, he eats three meals including porridge, bird's nest, milk or soft fruit. If he feels well in the afternoon, he will sit up and chat with his children and grandchildren.
"Sometimes my mother forgets, sometimes I ask her three or four times, but she never forgets her old memories or her children," said Mrs. Ninh.
Mr. Nguyen Van Lao - Chairman of the Elderly Association of Binh Loc Commune, Long Khanh City said that every year the association organizes gift giving, visits and longevity celebrations for the old lady. In the locality, the old lady lives a gentle, kind life and is loved by everyone.
In early March, the 119-year-old woman became happier and more active because she had visitors every day. The story of Mrs. Khong's life was shared on social media, attracting nearly two million views and more than 1,500 comments, most of which sent wishes for her good health and a longer life. Some people discovered that she was two years older than the world's oldest living woman, Maria Branyas Morera of San Francisco, USA (recognized by the Guinness World Records).
Ngoc Ngan
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