The Story of Li Ching-Yuen, a Centenarian Who Lived Over 200 Years (5 photos)
Li Ching-Yun, a resident of the Celestial Empire, died on May 6, 1933, after living a long and interesting life. He left behind 180 descendants across 11 generations and outlived 23 wives. He achieved this because fate favorably granted him two centuries of life. However, scientists still cannot confirm his exact age. 
Li Ching-Yun himself always claimed to have been born in 1736. But there is information that this unusual man was actually born in 1677. Whether the old man actually lived 197 or 256 years hasn't been determined, but in either case, Li remains the absolute record holder, as no one has even come close to these figures. 
Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment died at the age of 122 years and 164 days, but compared to Ching-Yun's age, this is mere trifles. While the year of birth given by the record holder himself is clear, where did 1677 come from? It turns out that in 1930, while Li was still alive, Professor Wu Chung-chieh of Chengdu University found Imperial Government Records dating back to 1827. They mentioned Ching-Yun, but already as an extremely old man!
The document states that in 1827, local authorities congratulated the centenarian on his 150th birthday! The next similar record is dated 1877, when Li Ching-Yun was congratulated on his 200th birthday. Perhaps the old man himself had forgotten his birth year, and we should trust the official documents?
In 1928, a New York Times journalist decided to put this strange story to rest and conducted his own independent investigation. The American visited the centenarian's hometown and spoke with people who knew him personally. Li Ching-Yun was unable to be convicted of lying, as many decrepit elders were willing to swear that their grandfathers and great-grandfathers had known Li well as boys, and that he was already quite old. 
Li Ching-Yun was born in Sichuan Province. He began working at the age of 10, mastering the profession of collecting medicinal herbs. He practiced this responsible and necessary profession his entire life. Even in his youth, Li was interested in the sources of longevity and ate only boiled rice, vegetables, and herbal infusions.
When Li turned 71 in 1749, he moved to Kai Xian Province, where he joined the imperial army as a martial arts instructor and tactical advisor. Memories have been preserved of one of Li Ching-Yun's students, the tai chi chuan master Da Liu, who revealed the secret of his mentor's longevity.
Da Liu recounted that his teacher was once wandering in the mountains and encountered a 500-year-old hermit. The hermit agreed to take Li as a student and revealed to him the secrets of Baguazhang, qigong exercises, and proper nutrition. Li himself attributed his longevity to strictly following the hermit's instructions and performing daily qigong exercises. 
In 1927, the centenarian was still vigorous enough to travel. It was during this period that Li Ching-Yun visited General Yang Sen in the city of Wan Xian. The military man was struck by the old man's clarity of thought and excellent physical condition. When the general asked how he managed to maintain his body, mind, and soul in such excellent condition, Li replied:
"One must keep one's heart calm, sit like a tortoise, walk as alert as a pigeon, and sleep like a dog."
It was during this meeting that the centenarian and Yang Sen took the only surviving photograph of the old man. Everyone who knew Li personally unanimously claimed that he hadn't changed at all during their lifetime. Shortly after his visit to the general, Li Ching-Yun died, and his last words were:
"I have done all that needed to be done in this world, and now it's time to return home."
General Yan Sen was so impressed by his conversation with the old man that he later wrote a book entitled "Facts about a 250-Year-Old Man." The book begins with a description of Li, describing him as "7 feet (2.1 meters) tall, with good eyesight, a brisk gait, a ruddy complexion, and long nails." The old man retained a keen intellect, and in conversation displayed a profound knowledge of many sciences, as well as a keen sense of humor. 
The only photo of Li Ching-Yuen
As we've already mentioned, Li Ching-Yun outlived 23 wives, but he left a widow on 24. At the time of his death, his wife was 60 years old. Li officially registered his marriages 14 times, and lived with his spouses 10 times in common-law marriages. The old man outlived not only all of his grandchildren but also many great-great-grandchildren.
With the herbalist and qigong master Li Ching-Yun, everything is more or less clear—he led a healthy lifestyle, restricted his diet, and exercised. But how can one explain the longevity of another Chinese elder, who surpassed 100 years of age and never denied himself anything?
