Tibet´s oldest woman turns 118

One by one, the old woman quietly counted the beads in her left hand, while the crowd curiously watched her and snapped photos.

Tibet's oldest woman, Arme Tsering(C), celebrates her 118th  birthday at home in the northeastern suburbs of Lhasa, March  16, 2009. (Xinhua/Soinam Norbu)

Tsering was born on March 16, 1891, in a small village in Ngari Prefecture. She moved with her husband to Lhunzhub County, about 40 km northeast of Lhasa, in the 1930s.

"Happy birthday to you ..." everybody sang in Mandarin and Tibetan as the birthday cake was shared. Three Tibetan women, all village officials, sang a Tibetan song to congratulate her. Said one: "Of all the people I know, no one is as lucky as you ..."