Longevity is a topic that has fascinated humans for centuries. While the average human lifespan today is around 72 years, there have been individuals throughout history who reportedly lived much longer than that. One such person is Li Ching-Yuen, a Chinese herbalist and martial artist who is said to have lived for over 300 years.
Li Ching-Yuen was born in 1677 in the Sichuan province of China. According to legend, he began practicing qigong and consuming herbs at a young age, which he attributed to his long life. He was also known to be a skilled martial artist and reportedly fought in many battles throughout his life.
Li’s age was first documented in 1749, when he was said to be 71 years old. However, it wasn’t until he was 250 years old that he came to the attention of the wider world. In 1927, a New York Times article was published claiming that a Chinese government official had found records from 1827 that showed Li to be 197 years old at the time. This claim was later refuted, but it helped to spread Li’s legend around the world.
In 1930, a professor of the Chengdu University in China met Li and recorded an interview with him. Li reportedly told the professor that he had been born in 1677, had married 14 times, and had over 200 descendants. He also attributed his longevity to his diet, which included goji berries, lingzhi mushrooms, and wild ginseng.
Li Ching-Yuen died in 1933, reportedly at the age of 256. However, his actual age is impossible to verify, as there is no official birth record for him.
Li Ching-Yuen is not the only person in history to have been rumored to have lived for over 300 years. Another notable example is Shirali Muslimov, an Azerbaijani shepherd who claimed to have been born in 1805 and died in 1973 at the age of 168. While there is no conclusive evidence to support Muslimov’s claims, his story has become a part of Azerbaijani folklore.
In modern times, there are also individuals who claim to have achieved extreme longevity through various means. One example is Jeanne Calment, a French woman who lived to the age of 122 and is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the oldest person ever to have lived. Calment attributed her longevity to a diet rich in olive oil, as well as her positive attitude towards life.
While the stories of individuals like Li Ching-Yuen and Shirali Muslimov may be difficult to verify, they have captured the imagination of people around the world. They serve as a reminder of the human fascination with longevity and the desire to live a long and healthy life.
