Singaporean photographer Chuando Tan turns 60, stuns internet with youthful appearance

Singaporean model, photographer, and artistic director Chuando Tan has once again captured global attention for his remarkably youthful appearance — this time on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

On Tuesday, 3 March 2026, Tan posted a series of photographs on his Instagram account to mark the milestone. The images show him posing in a semi-unbuttoned shirt beside a Jeep, holding balloons that spell out his age.

The post has since surpassed 600,000 likes, with the comments section flooded by a mixture of birthday wishes and expressions of disbelief from users around the world. Tan's Instagram account has 1.8 million followers, with a further 35,000 on Facebook.

Tan accompanied the photographs with a reflective personal statement. "Today, on my 60th birthday, I am reminded that time is the only real wealth," he wrote. "Each sunrise arrives as an inheritance, not a guarantee. I am grateful to stand on this Earth still."

He added: "The wiser path now is simple: Return daily to nature and sunlight and align myself with what endures. I wish for peace on earth."

Reactions from netizens

The viral post drew an outpouring of commentary from social media users across multiple languages and regions, many of whom struggled to reconcile Tan's appearance with his stated age.

One wrote, "Age is just a number, and to be honest you don't look 60, you're like in the early 30s."

One Spanish-language commenter offered warm birthday wishes while reflecting on the nature of ageing, writing: "60 trips around the sun, and an elegance that does not depend on age. There are people who have birthdays... and others who have presence." The commenter added: "Some people know how to live time — you honour it."

Another Spanish-language commenter extended birthday greetings and remarked: "The great thing about reaching this age is that we become bolder."

Not all commenters were so poetic. One user wrote simply: "60? Is he a vampire?" — a question echoed by another who added: "I know he's a vampire, but I just can't prove it."

Others drew more direct comparisons. One commenter observed: "Grandpa looks more young and handsome than my younger brother" — a remark that captured the spirit of much of the online reaction.

The varied responses reflect a pattern that has followed Tan across multiple viral moments over the years, each time drawing fresh astonishment from new audiences encountering his story for the first time.

Tan's approach to ageing well

This is far from the first time Tan has attracted international attention for his appearance. In a 2023 interview with Channel NewsAsia (CNA), he offered a candid explanation of his approach to maintaining his health and looks.

"The activities that you do during the day should be equal to the calories that you burn during that day — as simple as that," Tan told CNA. "And the amount of food that you consume during the day is equal to the calories that you put in your body."

Beyond the physical, Tan also stressed the role of mental outlook. He suggested that cultivating a consistently positive self-image could, over time, manifest as a genuine physical quality.

"Every time we hear people say that you look very good today, you'll look happy," he said. "Isn't it good if we can psyche ourselves to have that mindset, to have a positive, healthy, young thinking? I think through a period of time, that feeling will eventually become you."

Tan's philosophy centres on three pillars: what one does, what one eats, and what one thinks — a framework he has consistently cited as the foundation for his lifestyle.