My COOL Blog

The Hunza Valley in the northern area of Pakistan is famous for mysteriously beautiful scenery that has been preserved since ancient times. The valley was the inspiration for Shangri-La in James Hilton’s novel “Lost Horizon.” It is also the backdrop for “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,” a manga series and animated feature by Hayao Miyazaki.

The Hunza Valley is not only famous for its natural scenery, but also for residents who live very long lives. Along with Aphasia in the Russian Caucasus and Vilcabamba in Ecuador, the Hunza Valley is known as one of the three places for longevity in the world. Situated amid large mountain ranges, they all have access to clean air and fresh water.

Although it is an island, Okinawa in Japan is also a place of longevity. Among its 1.3 million inhabitants, there are more than 700 senior citizens over the age of 100. In Okinawa, they say that a septuagenarian is a child and an octogenarian is a youth. There is even an old saying: “If your ancestors call you to heaven when you reach 90, tell them to wait and that you’ll think about it when you’re 100.” There was even an “Okinawa program” in which people could follow the lifestyle of the Okinawans. The island’s residents consume 18 kinds of food, 78 percent of which are vegetables. Their staple foods are grain, vegetables and seaweed. When they do cook meat, it is not roasted or grilled.

Although all kinds of people have dreamt of eternal youth since ancient times, no one can stop the passage of time or prevent hair from turning gray. Thus, the only thing we can do is grow old gracefully. And we can take a cue from people who live in villages known for the longevity of its citizens - they all live lives of leisure. Instead of going against time, they advise us to get used to it. Probably for that reason, people use well-aging, not anti-aging, cosmetics these days.

Recently in Japan, missing centenarians have become a social problem. The government tried to determine the whereabouts of 40,399 centenarians but couldn’t locate 18 of them. They have reportedly been out of touch with their family members for a long time, ranging from years to decades.

This amounts to a desertion of the aged, not leaving them alone. It’s the dark side of an aging society in which we face three major problems: the dissolution of families, the collapse of community and society’s mismanagement of the aged.

On the other side of the seas, this is also a problem. In Korea, 5,659 senior citizens over the age of 60 went missing last year. Most of them suffer from dementia, and 42 of them are still missing. Being alone is sadder than growing old. One of the ways we can show respect for the aged is to give them our attention. After all, senior citizens were our fathers and mothers and we will all grow old someday.

 Karimabad, the capital of Hunza, offers an awe-inspiring notion of Rakaposhi (7,788 metres) . The snows of Rakaposhi glitter in the moonlight, producing an atmosphere at once ethereal and sublime. The fairy-tale like castle of Baltit, above Karimabad, is a Hunza landmark built abut 600 years ago. Stilted on massive legs, its wooden bay windows peruse out over the valley. Originally, it was traditional as the area of the Mirs (the title of the veteran rulers of Hunza) . “The Hunzas exist isolated from the rest of the world in the Himalayan Mountains where they live to be 110 to 120 years of age. They have no cancer, heart attacks or other major disorders to utter of. They are active and fit to the extinguish of their lives. Men father children at 100 years of age and older. Overweight people are unheard of because they have the perfect weight control system.” “Hunza men are straight, gigantic, broad-shouldered, deep-chested, slim-waisted, heavy-legged and have fleshy heads of hair. Hunza women are straight, ample, slim-waisted, developed bosoms, perfect complexions and luxuriant hair. Both men and women have perfect teeth and eyesight even at 100 years of age and older! They are well-kept, dapper, shimmering and suitable and you can’t accumulate an overweight person. Hunza women at 80 sight no older than North American women of 40. Fatigue is virtually unknown. Hunza men over 90 years weak repeatedly traipse the mountain hump of 65 miles from the town of Gilgit with a beefy pack and immediately inaugurate to work in the fields again!” The Hunzas were originally soldiers of Alexander the titanic. This bread may have been designed for the exhaust of his far traveling armies. It would produce sense. It’s the most compact produce of hunger satisfaction and nutrition we know of. According to traces of Macedonian Heritage, this bread could have originated in Egypt over 5,000 years ago. As you know, the Egyptians were valid of doing many things that original science cannot, even today, duplicate. People of Hunza As distinguished as the valley is well-known for its beauty, the people of Hunza are notorious for their friendliness and hospitality. The local languages spoken are Burushaski, Wakhi and Shina, most people understand Urdu and English. The literacy rate of the Hunza valley is believed to be more than 90%. Virtually every child of the unusual generation studies up to at least high school level. Many pursue higher studies from prestigious colleges and Universities of Pakistan and abroad. Most of the people of Hunza are Ismaili Shia Muslims, followers of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, while in Ganish Village more than 90% are Shia Muslims. The Hunza station is home to people of three ethnicities: The Lower Hunza residence - (from Mayun to Nasirabad is mainly inhabited by the Shinaki people who are Shina speakers; The Central Hunza status - (from Murtazaabad to Ahmed Abad) is mainly inhabited by Burushaski speakers. The Upper Hunza place, known as Gojal - (from Shiskat to Khunjerab is mainly populated by Wakhi speakers; The majority of the people are Ismaili Shia Muslims who are followers of the Aga Khan. The display Aga Khan IV has provided a lot of funding for the spot to wait on with agriculture and the local economy through the Aga Khan Development Network.