Chinese father stuns millions with his youthful looks (and you'll be shocked to find out how old he really is)
- Hu Hai, from Shanghai, has shot to fame after winning a fashion contest
- The retired economist attributes his youthful looks to his active lifestyle
- He loves belly dance, yoga, singing and learnt English at the age of 40
He might appear to be in his 30s, but stylish Hu Hai has amazed millions of people with his real age.
Mr Hu, who calls himself Johnson, shot to fame in 2016 after winning a fashion competition for senior citizens of Shanghai.
In an interview with MailOnline, the retired economist who loves belly dance attributes his youthful looks to his active lifestyle.
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Hu Hai has shot to fame in China for his incredibly youthful appearance and active lifestyle
The retired economist, 67, attributes his age-defying looks to his regular exercise regime
Mr Hu, who calls himself Johnson, shot to fame in 2016 after winning a fashion competition
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The pensioner from Shanghai was born in 1950 and is 67 years old.
The energetic father-of-one won the competition and was named 'the most fashionable grandpa of Shanghai'.
He has since appeared on different reality TV shows in China and impressed audience across the vast country.
In one programme, he went head-to-head on the runway with 19-year-old pop singer Wang Junkai, who is a member of TFBOYS, China's answer to the One Direction.
Nearly 40 years went past between these two pictures, but Mr Hu remained youthful
Mr Hu fell in love with music at an early age and nearly became a professional singer in his 20s
Mr Hu (left) went head-to-head on the runway with 19-year-old heartthrob Wang Junkai (right)
The 5ft10in man, who looks half of his age, told MailOnline that in real life he has a 37-year-old daughter, but is not yet a grandfather.
He said he has a wide range of hobbies which help him stay youthful, including dancing, singing and yoga. He likes belly dance in particular and has been performing in local theatres in his hometown.
Mr Hu said everyone has three ages: the biological age, the psychological age and the physical age. The 67-year-old man claimed his psychological age is 'forever 20' and his physical age - the physical condition of his body - is 43.
'There is a special machine to help you test your physical age. I test mine every day. It's no joke, it's scientific,' he said.
Mr Hu is pictured with his wife and daughter in 1991 (left) when he was 41 and in 2014 (right)
Apart from his age-defying appearance, Mr Hu also has an inspiring life story.
He was born as one of seven siblings to a soldier family. His father passed away when he was little and his mother raised him and his brothers and sisters alone.
He was a competitive shooter as a teenager and loved singing and dancing.
In his 20s, he worked for a state-run textile factory. Because at the time, Chinese citizens, particularly members of the Communist Party, were restricted from doing freelance work or working for themselves, Mr Hu missed the opportunity to become a performing artist which was his real passion.
'Many companies wanted me to sing, dance or act in plays for them, but because I'm a member of the Communist Party, I couldn't leave my factory and do it.'
Mr Hu learnt English by himself at the age of 40 before changing his career to be an economist.
A toddler Hu (circled) is pictured with his six siblings and all of them were raised by his mother
Mr Hu (circled) was a competitive shooter as a teenager and loved singing and dancing
He, seen rehearsing with his band in his youth, feels ashamed he has never become a singer
After that he worked overseas in Senegal, Zaire and Ecuador in areas of government economic service and foreign trade.
Mr Hu said in 1991 he was awarded by the President of Senegal for the contribution he had done for the country's economy.
Commenting on what has kept him young, Mr Hu stressed the importance of positive thinking.
He said: 'Youth is a mentality and an idea.
'As long as we expose ourselves to new and beautiful things, then we won't get old and we could stay young forever.
'That's why I keep telling myself everyday when I wake up that I still have a lot of things to do.'
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