When the Chinese herbalist Li Ching-Yuen died in 1933, newspapers around the world reported the news of his passing. According to his own testimony, he was 197 years old.
An investigation, however, suggested Li had forgotten his actual birthday. Official government records recorded the birth year as 1677, making him 256. Here is a copy of the obituary as printed in the New York Times on May 6, 1933:
LI CHING-YUN DEAD; GAVE HIS AGE AS 197.
“Keep a Quiet Heart, Sit Like a Tortoise, Sleep Like a Dog,” His Advice for a Long Life.
Li Ching-Yuen
Inquiry Put Age At 256.
Reported to have buried 23 wives and had 180 descendents – sold herbs for first 100 years.
Peiping, May 5 – Li Ching-Yun, a resident of Kaihsien, in the Province of Szechwan, who contended that he was one of the world’s oldest men and said he was born in 1736 – which would make him 197 years old – died today.
A Chinese dispatch from Chungking telling of Mr. Li’s death said he attributed his longevity to peace of mind and that it was his belief every one could live at least a century by attaining inward calm.
Compared with estimates of Li Ching-yun’s age in previous reports from China the above dispatch is conservative. In 1930 it was said Professor Wu Chung-chien, dean of the department of Education in Minkuo University, had found records showing Li was born in 1677 and that Imperial Chinese Government congratulated him on his 150th and 200th birthdays.
A correspondent of The New York Times wrote in 1928 that many of the oldest men in Li’s neighborhood asserted their grandfathers knew him as boys and that he was then a grown man.
According to the generally accepted tales told in his province. Li was able to read and write as a child, and by his tenth birthday had traveled in Kansu, Shansi, Tibet, Annam, Siam and Manchuria gathering herbs. For the first hundred years he continued at this occupation. Then he switched to selling herbs gathered by others.
Wu Pei-fu, the warlord, took Li into his house to learn the secret of living to 250. Another pupil said Li told him to “keep a quiet heart, sit like a tortoise, walk sprightly like a pigeon and sleep like a dog.”
According to one version of Li’s married life he had buried away twenty-three wives and was living with his twenty-fourth, a woman of ’60.’ Another account, which in 1928 credited him with 180 living descendents, comprising eleven generations, recorded only fourteen marriages. This second authority said his eyesight was good; also, that the finger nails of his right hand were very long, and “long” for a Chinese might mean longer than any finger nails ever dreamed of in the United States.
One statement of The Times correspondent which probably caused skeptical readers to believe Li was born more recently than 1677, was that “many who have seen him recently declare that his facial appearance is no different from that of persons two centuries his junior.”
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32 responses so far ↓
1
Rick Matz
// Nov 18, 2007
Regardless of his actual age at death, the advice is still sound.
2
Remy Lanslots
// Nov 27, 2007
I must say that I’m very interested in this.
Li Ching-Yuen is an example for me and I will try to live like him. Some people might think I’m crazy, but what if it is true?
No-one will ever know, because sadly, Li died more than 70 years ago… he will always be missed.
3
Nate
// Nov 27, 2007
I have the secret to eternal youth. The cost will be $500M for 50 years of additional life. Only billionaires will afford this luxury. All inquiries please contact. This is a technological feat of biomedical sciences and lifestyle modulation. Only few qualify, subject to extensive screening.
4
Kameron T. Henry
// Mar 2, 2008
HOW DID HE LIVE SO LONG?
5
Kameron T. Henry
// Mar 2, 2008
WHY WONT YOU TELL ME?
6
blubberbutt
// Mar 11, 2008
Li Ching Yuen was a great man, and I had the fortunate possibility of knowing him once. As a 6 year old child, i met him in china. hehe ya right! as if.
7
Ryan
// Apr 26, 2008
Look up the art of Qigong….he was said to be a master of it.
And he actually chose to go, when he did…as one report states…”I have done all I have to do in this world. I will now go home,” and then allowed his spirit to depart.
8
helen
// Aug 1, 2008
Wow, this dude would have been really helpful for school history projects!
9
Adam
// Dec 8, 2008
Can you send me more pics of this 250 year old man
RSVP THANK YOU !!!
10
Ben Abba
// Feb 4, 2009
Li Ching Yuen is one of many people, on record, who have lived healthy long lives. However, he was still a baby compared to a dozen or so peole who are alive and walking among us today. For a look at my research check out my main blog at http://www.Ben-Abba.com or my new book on a 2,800 year old man still alive today at http://www.Secrets-of-an-Immortal.com.
11
pseudoman
// Feb 5, 2009
hi there ben i was just wondering what evidence you have brought to the table…the evidence that proves he is 2800 yrs old..because i can just as easily write a book about a 3500 yr old flying butt troll and say “i have evidence”..where’s it at? ..uh why would anyone make up such an odd story “that’s my evidence”…whatever dude.
12
Piotr
// Feb 14, 2009
Jest wiele systemów medycnych podnoszących długośc życia. Mam nadzieję ze w niedługim czasie Swiat zmieni nastawienie do nich i będzie sięgał po ich mądrosc. Sam uprawiam medycynę naturalna a moi pacjenci wyglądaja na duzo młodszych niż są.
["There are many systems that enhance health. I hope the world will soon change their attitude, and will be reached after their wisdom. Sam grows natural medicine and my patients look much younger than they are." (Please write future comments in English.)]
13
alam
// Feb 18, 2009
i want to know the complete life history of Li Ching Yuen who survived 256 years. do you have any e-document to send me please!
14
mason
// Feb 25, 2009
hi my name is mason i go to chinese shaolin center in LV its a shao-lin kung fu place and its straight from the temple and the reason why he lived so long is because of happiness,calmness of body, and doing chi-qong breathing exercises,and also practicing bagua everyday of his life,bagua is one of 3 main internal martial arts styles that utilize chi when you do these internal arts you feel healthiar and youget better blood flow and you live alot longer if you wanna find out more about the styles that i know go to http://www.shao-lin.com (we have alot more styles that we do than are listed on the website)
15
Babaq
// Apr 24, 2009
Ben Abba what the fuck is this bullshit of a 2800 year man, who never had any major accidents none related with diseases, but like a rock falling hitting his head or any thing of this sort. and why would he meet marie curie and bonapart, not because your are old your gona meet Obama or any persons of this sort.
all what you are doing is trying to sell a fiction book, but if your were a good writer you would tell people its a fiction book, not the description of someone you met.
all i can say is that at least there is a picture and some official records of Li but your story is totally bullshit.
16
Ben Abba
// Apr 24, 2009
Babaq,
Why are you so angry? Are you afraid it is true?
A lot of people do not believe that Li Ching Yun was real, and yet here we are.
I took the time and the effort to find people like Li Ching Yun who are still alive today. To my utter surprise I found about a lot of people still alive today in the 125 to 250 years of age category including a Native American. I also found about 25 people that are still alive that are much older than 250 years of age; including one gentleman who is nearly 2,800 years of age; which in my opinion makes him an “immortal”.
Since it would take a long time to explain what I discovered in my research and what this man told me as to how he survived so many years without disease or fatal accidents; I have decided to put it into a book form. This is the best way I can present this material for most people to understand.
If you could learn my advanced researching techniques, which took me 15 years to master, in own day; then you could verify my data yourself. Since you probably are not willing to learn these techniques, then you will have to read the material that I will be laying out for you in the best manner I know how.
If you are not interested in learning how to extend your life from someone who has extending their life by 2,800 years, then just move on. No one will force you into living longer than the 75 years the average person is living today.
Be Well.
17
MarkyMark
// May 8, 2009
We are angry because of fraudsters like yourself Ben. If you have actual proof, as in photographs of this man, recorded conversations, something to go off of, that may be able to prove or disprove your claim, that is well and good, but not just someone’s assertion that he is 2,800 because he “sounds” like any eyewitness.
18
Ben Abba
// May 8, 2009
MarkyMark, I never met you. How do know whether or not that I am a fraudster? Could I not equally call you a fraudster too?
What would a photograph or recording prove to you? There is a photograph on Li Ching-Yuen on this website. Is that absolute proof to you of his existence?
There is a video of bigfoot called the “Patterson film” which you can find a copy of here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJjUt2sXo5o . From the last I have heard, this video has not been proven to be a fake, yet the controversy surrounding bigfoot continues. Does this mean you absolutely believe bigfoot exists?
I have several websites of collaborating evidence for you to review and discuss. My main blog is http://Ben-Abba.com and my main podcast channel is http://Achieiving-Immortality.com.
Have you read and listened to all of the material on these 2 websites? If so, what evidence are you disputing? If not, why are you commenting here?
I am in the process of presenting other forms of evidence that i have using other forms of presentation. However, since I am doing all of my scientific research on my own dime, it is taking longer for me to complete the analysis of this evidence; which I need to do before presentation.
The truth is there are several people, on record, who have lived longer than Jeanne Calmet; including Li Chin-Yuen. There are also many more people still alive today that are as old and older than Li Ching Yuen, I happened to find and make contact with a few of them.
If you are at all interested in hearing about these supercentenarians, then read on, or go find these people yourself. If you are not interested, move on. No one’s forcing you to read or listen to any of this information.
Be Well
19
D. Schaumann
// Jul 23, 2009
250 year old!?
how could that is true?
we see every day a lot of old people dying at 70 ou 80.
the oldest man died last week in england.he was 112!
amazing.Chineses have a lot to teach us
20
250
// Aug 28, 2009
Yeah hes in stories, he invented tai chi
21
Josh Young
// Aug 28, 2009
I have examined the blog of Ben Abba.
It is nothing more than an add for his books and interviews.
Nothing of any meaning is shared there, there is no evidence present.
He takes care to not present any information that can be investigated, this is a common secret of those who are frauds.
So while there is no evidence that he is a fraud, there is no evidence that he is not. He has motive and opportunity to be a fraud.
I sincerely doubt there is any validity to his claims and I am a man who believes that indefinite life may be possible.
22
Ben Abba
// Aug 28, 2009
I am tried of being called a fraud by obvious frauds.
My blogs were up and posted long before I made the decision to write a book, much less announce it. And I only started doing most of the interviews in the last 6 months after I started editing my soon to be released book.
My blog is full of collaborating information on my claim that we can extend our lives well past 122 years; including scientific evidence. Did you see the recent blog posts on Brooke Greene, Paul Lewis, and Dr. Medicine Wolf ? How about my earlier blog posts “Where is the Proof”, “A Cure for Human Aging”, and “Discovering the Secrets of Longevity”? How about the evidence that is posted on this very page?
It is a good quality to treat any topic with a level of skepticism. However, declaring something a fraud simply because you refuse to read the evidence before you, serves no one and makes you look foolish.
I welcome those who offer construction criticism and pity those who choose to live life in denial of the facts all around them.
23
josh young
// Aug 29, 2009
You are clearly used to being dishonest.
You think I call you a fraud? Not so.
I wrote:
“So while there is no evidence that he is a fraud, there is no evidence that he is not.”
and yet you wrote that you were sick of being called a fraud by obvious frauds.
Your blog is nothing more than a giant ad, it is shameful to call it a blog. It is loaded with claims that cannot be verified or contradicted, that is the hallmark of fraud.
What you call evidence does not even meet the basic requirements of evidence. It is totally absurd.
I am a believer that we can live for more than a couple of centuries and my impression from reading your blog is that you are far from honest and not scientific whatsoever.
Pity what you will, it cannot make you right.
Consider that even you seem to doubt your own credibility and so use a fake photo and seem to employ a fake name.
24
Chris
// Aug 30, 2009
I see nothing wrong with using a blog to promote a book, and unless you have read that book, it is premature to complain about a lack of evidence. (I haven’t read it myself, BTW.)
25
wow'ed
// Sep 11, 2009
Wow ben abba, so this man is 2,800+ y/o?? So that means he was around when Jesus Christ was born, and there’s a possibility he might have even witnessed his resurrection???
It’s strange Oprah hasn’t interviewed this man before.
Pfft.
If this man exists, he must be Jesus Christ himself.
26
Tiger
// Sep 11, 2009
Don’t believe any of this crap. Once again China is distorting the facts. Beijing Olympics was a failure.
27
thatissofake
// Jan 14, 2010
2800 years… the more you exagerate…
Man I can believe you’re doing this.
[Removed extra insults. -Ed.]
28
Davo
// Feb 7, 2010
that Ben Abba site is so full of sh1t it’s hilarious
29
JMac
// Feb 20, 2010
I have been researching Li Ching Yuen and found this website. Lots of intereting info on 250 somthing year old man. I am also finding a lot of fulgar comments by those who offer nothing to the conversationl; just verbal attacks.
I checked out Ben Abba’s blog and websites and found lots of accurate info from of news sources and scientists of our day.
So I wonder what these “trolls” that love to make rude comments that contractict obvious facts do to earn an income, if anything? It sounds to me like they work for the government, some pharmacedical, a medical firm, or a mortuary than prefers people die an early death rather than live past 100. Or maybe they just live off on unemployment or their parents and love to spend all day spewing hate.
To all of you trolls out there, get a life, and leave forums like this one for grownups who need to research this helpful info which is found here.
30
yaya
// Feb 27, 2010
my god….. i dont know if this is fake…..grrr
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