Four brothers around 100 years old still sharp

All four brothers – including Quynh at 100 years old, 98-year-old Nguyen Ngoc Giao, 95-year-old Nguyen Ngoc Hoan, and 91-year-old Nguyen Ngoc Can – boast remarkable pasts, with the three eldest having been guerrillas in the First Indochina War who later transitioned into roles as officials in different regions. They now reside with their large families in Van Giang District, part of Hanoi-adjacent Hung Yen Province.

Can, the youngest brother, took up a position as a lecturer at the Vietnam Agricultural Academy after his military service.

Together, the siblings’ vast lineage encompasses over 300 descendants, including children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, spread across various provinces and cities.

(middle row, from the second to the right to left) Nguyen Ngoc Giao, Nguyen Ngoc Hoan, Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, and Nguyen Ngoc Can, surrounded by their descendants, on their father’s death anniversary in October 2023. Photo courtesy of Quynh

"It’s exceedingly rare for a family to have all four siblings surpass 90 years of age while maintaining sharp minds and the ability to care for themselves independently like we do," remarked Giao.

He noted that one possible key factor underlying their long lives is their consistent positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle, characterized by regular eating and sleeping schedules, consistent exercise, and abstention from smoking.

Quynh, who celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year, remains intellectually vibrant, as evidenced not only by his prolific reading and regular writing of poetry, but also his proficiency in translating Chinese to Vietnamese. He credits regular gatherings with his brothers, where they check in on each other’s well-being and share new poems they’ve composed, as their most effective method of memory maintenance.

Nguyen Ngoc Quynh (sitting) celebrates his 100th birthday on Feb. 15, 2024. Photo courtesy of Quynh

Following in his elder sibling’s footsteps, Giao has also committed to a daily reading habit, viewing it as an invaluable source of wisdom. As for subjects, his interests include delving into history, folk culture, and Buddhism. In the previous years when mobility was less of an issue for him, he frequently explored historical sites in Hung Yen and its environs on his own.

A veteran bearing the scars of war-inflicted wounds, Giao places great emphasis on physical activity. He makes it a point to walk 1,000 steps around his yard every morning and afternoon.

His dietary regimen involves eating three well-timed meals a day—breakfast before 8 a.m., lunch before 11 a.m., and dinner before 7 p.m. He adheres to a meal sequence starting with vegetables, followed by other main courses and rice, a strategy that aids in fiber absorption, weight control, physical strength, and longevity, he believes.

Instead of readily turning to medication, Giao prefers to use herbs from his garden, such as fever vine, guava leaves, lemongrass, and ginger to treat ailments, unless prescribed by a physician.

Nguyen Ngoc Giao, 98, at his Hung Yen home, taken on March 14, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen

The third brother Hoan emphasizes that nurturing both mind and body is crucial, but maintaining an optimistic outlook, a positive life stance, and avoiding bitterness or negative speech about others is paramount. The siblings collectively advise that a sound spirit is essential for a sound body.

At 91, the youngest sibling, Can, remains actively involved in numerous local organizations, including the elderly association, the retiree association, the local party cell, and a poetry club made up of former lecturers from the Vietnam Agricultural Academy. He also leisurely engages in gardening, cultivating enough vegetables to sustain his household and provide for his children residing in other locations.

Can is set to attend the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu as an honored guest this May thanks to his participation in the campaign.

"Despite being over 90, I am confident in my health to partake in all the event’s activities," Can asserted. "The joy of aging yet having brothers to share the recollections of such significant experiences brings me happiness."

Nguyen Ngoc Tuyen, the brothers’ local neighborhood leader, also noted the rarity of having nonagenarian and centenarian siblings who not only retain their health and mental acuity but also actively contribute to and support communal endeavors in their village and commune.

He said in 2023, exemplifying their community spirit, the brothers facilitated the relocation of 108 family graves to accommodate the construction of the capital’s Ring Road No. 4, which passes through the commune.

Nguyen Ngoc Nham, 55 and Giao’s eighth child, said that spending time with his father and three uncles in continued good health and mental clarity is a major delight for the extended family.

He explained that his father and three uncles nurtured all their children – and their children’s children – under the family’s Confucian ethos, where erudition lays the groundwork and virtuous character is esteemed. Hence, from their formative years, he and his siblings and respective descendants have received instruction in proper etiquette, behavior, and societal engagement.

Each year, during the Tet Lunar New Year celebration, members of the multi-generation family convene at their ancestral shrine in Hung Yen to honor their forebearers and exchange wishes for continued robust health. Even amidst the vastness of their family, the quartet of elder brothers consistently recalls every individual’s name and their familial connection.

One of the brothers’ unachieved aspirations is to capture a photograph encompassing all members of the extensive clan, which they haven’t been able to do yet given that numerous relatives live in different regions.

Nham put it thusly:

"All four of them are eager to secure a comprehensive family portrait that encompasses all their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren, as well as their spouses, as soon as possible."