A 101-year-old Cantonese woman who "passed away" on Jan. 19, surprisingly came back to life after having been "dead" for 16 hours, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported today.

Peng Xiuhua's two daughters are taking care of their mother after the dramatic events had unfolded. [Southern Metropolis Daily]

Peng Xiuhua, a centenarian from Shenshuidong Village in Lianjiang City, Guangdong Province, lived alone and was supported by the village community. She accidentally took a tumble ten days ago and hurt herself. Her two daughters, who are in their 70s, came over to look after her.

Around 10:30p.m. on Jan. 19, they found their mother had no pulse and was not breathing, thus declared her deceased. The village community then set out to prepare for Peng's funeral.

When the coffin was ready the next day, Peng was carefully wrapped in a cloak. However, the moment people laid her in the coffin, at about 3:00p.m., she suddenly opened her eyes and smilingly said, "Hello, there." Bystanders were dumbfounded and could not believe their eyes and ears until they saw the old woman as hale and cheerful as ever before.

The villagers continued their preparations for a true treat, yet they were no longer arranging a funeral, but instead a celebration of Peng's longevity.