Bodyshock: The Amazing Story behind the 256 Year-Old Man

80 Responses to “Bodyshock: The Amazing Story behind the 256 Year-Old Man”

1. Jimbo Posted: May 3rd, 2008 at 7:59 pm

   1 I hope this isn’t supposed to be taken seriously. Reply to this comment.

2. yongke Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 1:10 am

   2 You know, at first, I thought I was reading the onion, then I realized I was on environmental graffiti; and this story is relevant because he probably passed enough gas during his long lifetime to cause global warning. Reply to this comment.

3. Student Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 1:29 am

   3 A couple other things I have seen written about him: - Died with his own decent set of teeth - Believed in Garlic, Ginger, Ginseng, and Gotu-Kola for long life - Would not eat Tropane containing foods (Tomato, Potato, Eggplant, Tobacco), nor any ‘root’ foods besides the couple above. - Won some master herbalist award 3 times in a row in China. This contest happened once every 50 years Take with a grain of salt, this is too much ancient history to verify now. to Jimbo - belief is a funny thing that makes a lot of people get out of bed early on a Sunday. Reply to this comment.

4. Jim Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 1:56 am

   4 Whatever is the truth behind this story, the message behind this man’s life is clear to me. Live life and work hard. Live like its your last day, and if you’re right, you’re gonna live for a long time ;) Reply to this comment.

5. T Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 2:19 am

   5 “Was he really that old? Could he have forgotten his own birthday or exaggerated his claim? Environmental Graffiti investigates.” … “Does this therefore signify a superhuman body capable of lasting one quarter of a millennium, or is the story of Li Ching-Yun based on a series of half-truths, lies or exaggerations? Unfortunately, we may never know. You may draw your own logical conclusions.” Great investigation. Thanks for the waste of time. Reply to this comment.

6. Chris Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 2:23 am

   6 Author Comment Thank you, come again ;) Reply to this comment.

7. Josh Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 2:28 am

   7 Heiroglyphs or it didn’t happen. Reply to this comment.

8. klaasand Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 2:32 am

   8 Biblical references record people of even older ages. And doctors admit that there is no physiological reason for ageing. Just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Why are we so sure we know everything? Don’t be so self righteous as to dismiss the possibility of this occurring. People today dismiss healing the wah Jesus did because all they know is doctors yet many religions practice spiritual healing (not faith healing) of all forms of physical illness with great and consistent success. Reply to this comment.

9. David Rochlin Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 2:32 am

   9 It is not biologically possible, not even with China’s famed herbal medicines. Typically the truth behind this kind of story ends up being that some sort of political incentive makes it adventageous for a son to take the name of a father. For example, if the military draft takes most of the seventeen year olds in a town, perhaps a family might let a boy steal the identity of his recently deceased father. Or, if inheritance taxes are high, then it might make eminent sense for a family to pass on the identity of the patriarch, from generation to generation, just to avoid taxes. There was a myth that yogurt could extend life, because the old guys in a town in Soviet Georgia, allegedly lived to be well over a hundred, but that ended up being a draft evasion, situation. Yogurt is still popular, though, despite that the truth eventually came out… Reply to this comment.

10. blarg Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 2:35 am

    10 my thoughts exactly. why not just link to the wiki entry. waste Reply to this comment.

11. George Dunhill Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:00 am

    11 Sounds like make believe to me! Reply to this comment.

12. is this a joke Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:06 am

    12 Biblical references record people of even older ages. And doctors admit that there is no physiological reason for ageing. Just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Why are we so sure we know everything? Don’t be so self righteous as to dismiss the possibility of this occurring. People today dismiss healing the wah Jesus did because all they know is doctors yet many religions practice spiritual healing (not faith healing) of all forms of physical illness with great and consistent success. ROFLOLMAO HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Reply to this comment.

13. spanky mc titflop Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:16 am

    13 he probably ate some tiger penis or rhino horn or whatever Reply to this comment.

14. You've gotta be kidding me Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:18 am

    14 Biblical references record people of even older ages. And doctors admit that there is no physiological reason for ageing. Just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Why are we so sure we know everything? Don’t be so self righteous as to dismiss the possibility of this occurring. People today dismiss healing the wah Jesus did because all they know is doctors yet many religions practice spiritual healing (not faith healing) of all forms of physical illness with great and consistent success. …wow. Your proctologist just called. He found your head. Reply to this comment.

15. S. Bernard Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:23 am

    15 Assuming that age at time of death can be plotted to come out in a bell-shaped curve, there will always be outliers. The vast majority will fall somewhere in the middle, but there will always be those that seemingly out of the ordinary. Reply to this comment.

16. Josh Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:34 am

    16 klaasand: “And doctors admit that there is no physiological reason for ageing.” You’re kidding, right? There is a whole field of medicine dedicated to aging, known as gerontology. Given that humans are incredibly complex organisms, there are many mechanisms whereby we age. For example, molecular plaque buildup can, over time, cause a deterioration of the body’s cells. As for your comments about “spiritual healing,” show me some verifiable data and provide me with some reproducible experiments, and then maybe I’ll believe it. Reply to this comment.

17. Alex Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:41 am

    17 he follows the way. or daoism. the words he spoke about sleeping like a dog are quotes from the tao te ching or one of the other taoist writings. its all about finding your true self ect. who knows mabe its real it’d be sick if it was Reply to this comment.

18. respectfullyreasonable Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:53 am

    18 I’m pretty sure that the statistically supported possibility of a longevity occurrence like this is not impossible. Our species history is undeniably shapped by the influences of the Platos, Mozarts, Davincis and Einsteins to name a hackneyed few. I am sure however, that I am safe in regarding this as an ill-concieved journalistic ploy for limelight and an overt disclaimer to this blog’s street cred. Reply to this comment.

19. PolarBear Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:59 am

    19 Biblical references record people of even older ages. And doctors admit that there is no physiological reason for ageing. Just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Why are we so sure we know everything? Don’t be so self righteous as to dismiss the possibility of this occurring. People today dismiss healing the wah Jesus did because all they know is doctors yet many religions practice spiritual healing (not faith healing) of all forms of physical illness with great and consistent success. OH you are KIDDING right? You are citing the Bible as some kind of proof of scientific possibilities? Wow. Just wow. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Clearly you’ve been using some form of herbal medicine. Reply to this comment.

20. addingtoidiocy Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 5:16 am

    20 I think it should be noted that we do, in fact, know why we age. As we age, the protective coating around our chromosomes slowly begin to wear away. Each cell that we replicate in turn replicates a little bit less of the casing around the chromosome. The less of a sheath we have around the chromosomes, the less able the body is able to maintain itself. The rate of degradation is not consistent in all species or even within the species. This is why some people look particularly aged at 60 and others look particularly youthful at 90. Because clams, crabs, and lobsters to not suffer this effect, they could theoretically live forever. Take the quahog clam that was found in arctic waters about six months ago. They estimated it was over 400 years old. This is possible because each shell in these species is able to almost perfectly replicate itself. There is actually a lot of research going on to see if there is a way to slow or stop the degradation of the chromosome sheathing. It should be noted that this story is (and I use this word as loosely as I can) possible. However, the more likely story is passing on the name, and essentially life, of the patriarch to the next son. Reply to this comment.

21. facepalm Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 5:38 am

    21 Biblical references record people of even older ages. And doctors admit that there is no physiological reason for ageing. Just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Why are we so sure we know everything? Don’t be so self righteous as to dismiss the possibility of this occurring. People today dismiss healing the wah Jesus did because all they know is doctors yet many religions practice spiritual healing (not faith healing) of all forms of physical illness with great and consistent success. Might I point you to Reply to this comment.

22. Mike Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 5:42 am

    22 True or not. that does not look like a youthful man in his 60’s. Reply to this comment.

23. sdkdkdkddk Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 6:04 am

    23 what about carbon dating? Reply to this comment.

24. Kal Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 6:05 am

    24 I don’t know about the supposed impossibility of this. The longest living dog lived to the ripe old age of 29, which is about 200 by human standards. The man living to 197, is not unfeasible. 256? A stretch, but why wouldn’t it be possible? I mean, some people die of “old age” in their 70s, some past 100. Perhaps he lived the type of live that resulted in less wear and tear on his vital organs. I mean, there are some biologists that say that if the body produced its own Vitamin C and Calcium, we could live to be 600, maybe the stuff he ate tied down the essential nutrients he needed to sustain a long life. But, Occam’s razor, the old man was senile and had the same name as his dad. Reply to this comment.

25. samim Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 6:19 am

    25 trees are known to get up to 10000 years old, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus_(tree) Reply to this comment.

26. Neptune Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 7:59 am

    26 While I am not going to state whether I believe in this story or not, I think it is very naive to say this isn’t possible. There are many medical mysteries out there. There are diseases that make a person age rapidly. I certainly see no reason why there couldn’t be a ‘disease’ that slows down the aging process tremendously, enough to live 250 years. It is not unrealistic. Whether or not I believe in this particular story is irrelevant, but for anyone to say it is impossible is just plain ignorant. Reply to this comment.

27. What about... Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 9:24 am

    27 Mr. Magorium? He was 432 years old. ;) Reply to this comment.

28. Poster Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 11:12 am

    28 with all the shit in our food, the medics in the water, work stress, alcohol and nicotine and caffeine and so forth we don’t have to worry about garlic or anything. We just live our lives and don’t bury women. Reply to this comment.

29. Wayhigh Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 1:03 pm

    29 Biblical references record people of even older ages. You must not have heard about Wayhigh’s Law, part of which is as follows, “The first person to use the bible as an authoritative source in an argument instantly loses the argument.” Reply to this comment.

30. rm1x Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 1:18 pm

    30 Good for him :) Reply to this comment.

31. Aerdrie Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 1:34 pm

    31 what about carbon dating? One thing wrong with this: Carbon dating uses the loss of Carbon-14 to determine the age of biological matter. C-14 is only lost after death and burial, so it would only tell you how long ago he died, not how old he was when he did. Reply to this comment.

32. Dave G Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:14 pm

    32 Cut off one of his lages and count the rings. Seriously, if someone could conceivably live that old, it may have a genetic base. How old did any of his children or other relatives live to? Reply to this comment.

33. Dave G Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:16 pm

    33 Oops. That first line should read: Cut off one of his LEGS . . . Reply to this comment.

34. jcindahouz Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:30 pm

    34 hard to believe. Reply to this comment.

35. orly Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:47 pm

    35 Another victim of the Y2K bug (sort of): 0, 1, …, 255, DIVIDED BY ZER_ @S. Bernard, #15> no, “the age at time of death” is NOT a bell-shaped curve. Life expectancy is of a little more than 80 years for women in France or Japan for example, that means by definition that half of them die before their 80’s and half die older than 80; this curve is also a symmetrical one so the percentage of death happening right after birth should be reflected in the percentage of death at >100 yo. If this curve was to be a bell-shaped curve, we’d have 0,5% of death at the age of 160 as well as the existing 0,5% of infant mortality of these countries. Nobody in France or Japan lived longer than Jeanne Calment (122 years) so it’s a flat zero between 123 and infinity. It’s already quite flat after 105. Infant mortality is 20% in Liberia and with a life expectancy of 42 years, obviously there isn’t 20% of Angola people living up to 83 and then suddenly dying at 84 ! So no, it’s not a bell-shaped curve but yes there are “outliers”. The problem is we can only consider those who were born and died in country with reliable source of Vital records … Reply to this comment.

36. durham4556 Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:48 pm

    36 what a worthless article. there are no answers no nothing. I read the title and asked myself how is this possible then come to read the whole page. wasteing my time. Reply to this comment.

37. herbalist Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 3:48 pm

    37 I think the secret definitely lies within the use of herbs. It is curious though, if the wives ate the same diet and took the same herbs…. maybe they didn’t? Reply to this comment.

38. wnyjackson Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 5:58 pm

    38 Not possible. It says he had 23 wives! I am convinced No man can outlive 23 wives! Reply to this comment.

39. David Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 6:04 pm

    39 Good God! As if the 80 year old Chinese man driving 20mph in the fast lane with his blinker on wasn’t bad enough! Reply to this comment.

40. Tim Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 7:15 pm

    40 For all those right brainers, who think they blog something of value, ask yourself this question, “Why were plants and animals so much larger in the past?” Even 15,000 years ago, giant bears, giant elk, giant sloth, giant Mammoth, and yes even giant men. Where do think this is coming from? Go back even further, dragon fly 3 feet long, conifers 1000 feet tall, look at the fossil records! If you don’t believe in life force energies I suggest you take a second look at history, and then ask yourself how these (lower life forms) were able to out perform us? The answers are hidden in plain site, right under your noses, or perhaps over your head, every day. You think stories sre longevity are just fables? Think again. Just a suggestion, perhaps you should wake up from your slumber party. Reply to this comment.

41. MrMensa Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 8:10 pm

    41 There is a rare condition that causes a person to age at an accelerated rate, called progeria. If that condition exists, why not a rare condition that acts in the opposite direction, or life extending,rather than life shortening. If there are 6 billion people alive today, who’s to say that one or more of them may not radically extend their life span(s) Reply to this comment.

42. Myspace Quiz Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 8:24 pm

    42 I think that he would have gotten more credibility if this was more real this sounds like a lochnessy monsterish type of deal. Reply to this comment.

43. Jack Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 9:08 pm

    43 For all those right brainers, who think they blog something of value, ask yourself this question, “Why were plants and animals so much larger in the past?” Even 15,000 years ago, giant bears, giant elk, giant sloth, giant Mammoth, and yes even giant men. Where do think this is coming from? Go back even further, dragon fly 3 feet long, conifers 1000 feet tall, look at the fossil records! If you don’t believe in life force energies I suggest you take a second look at history, and then ask yourself how these (lower life forms) were able to out perform us? The answers are hidden in plain site, right under your noses, or perhaps over your head, every day. You think stories sre longevity are just fables? Think again. Just a suggestion, perhaps you should wake up from your slumber party. Wow, Tim. You are such a douche. Life force energies?! Dumb dumb dumb. Plenty of scientifically plausible hypotheses with varying degrees of evidence for your claims without having to invoke woo-woo and fairy dust. For example, 3 foot dragon flies lived in an epoch in which there was demonstrably more oxygen in the atmosphere. Reply to this comment.

44. Biggus Dickus Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 9:55 pm

    44 I don’t know what you people are complaining about. This happens all the time. In fact, this man died fairly young. I myself am 328 years old and don’t look a day over fourty Reply to this comment.

45. Tim Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 10:14 pm

    45 oxygen? Well if that were the case don’t you think every poultry farmer and hot house owner in the states wouldn’t be raising their stock in a pure Oxygen emviroment, to double or tripple their yield. Your’re going to have think a little deeper than that, my friend. How do the cells communicate? What turns on and off aging genes. Why are they even an aspect of genome? Where do the plants get their energy, and we indirectly through them? Reply to this comment.

46. youdumbass Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 10:18 pm

    46 <blockquote cite=”For all those right brainers, who think they blog something of value, ask yourself this question, “Why were plants and animals so much larger in the past?” Even 15,000 years ago, giant bears, giant elk, giant sloth, giant Mammoth, and yes even giant men. Where do think this is coming from? Go back even further, dragon fly 3 feet long, conifers 1000 feet tall, look at the fossil records! If you don’t believe in life force energies I suggest you take a second look at history, and then ask yourself how these (lower life forms) were able to out perform us? The answers are hidden in plain site, right under your noses, or perhaps over your head, every day. You think stories sre longevity are just fables? Think again. Just a suggestion, perhaps you should wake up from your slumber party.” Idiotic. Did I miss the paragraph in the article that mentioned the chinese dude was 20 feet tall? Quit talking out your ass, this has nothing to do with anything. Besides, if I recall correctly, these large creatures existed thousands of years ago, not in the 1700’s AND their life span was shorter than their smaller decendents. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THIS IS A WORTHLESS ATTEMPT TO JUSTIFY ANYTHING. Reply to this comment.

47. Full Breath Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 11:58 pm

    47 There are Yogis in India who have lived for over 300 years. Some of them have addresses and you can go to visit them. Leonard Orr, my teacher, and the ‘father’ of Rebirthing, has some of their contact info. He has visited some of them, notably Babaji, the Yogi-Christ of India. For a good intro to the idea of Physical Immortality, please watch Leonard’s video on You Tube….. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT36RVkmj50 (”Death Is A ‘Grave’ Mistake”….Leonard Orr) Reply to this comment.

48. Jim Strouse Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 12:28 am

    48 Spectacular claims require spectacular proof. Exaggerated lifespans are a trademark of human cultures. An authentic 100 year lifespan is indeed a rarity, but to claim 200 unsubstantiated years is an insult to the centenarian community. Reply to this comment.

49. Billy Bee Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 12:40 am

    49 Thomas Parr supposedly lived 152 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Parr I agree with the skeptics, 252 is impossible in the 21st century, I don’t think you past 50 if you constantly eat at McDonald’s and take prescription drugs. Reply to this comment.

50. Mason McManus Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 1:54 am

    50 Biblical references record people of even older ages. You must not have heard about Wayhigh’s Law, part of which is as follows, “The first person to use the bible as an authoritative source in an argument instantly loses the argument.” I’m sorry, but may I point out the law of @$$hole-ery. “The first person to say that a person instantly loses an argument by quoting a Bible gets a round house kick to the face by Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee beating them with their own spine, and a piece of lemon squirted in their eye. This practice may go past the first said person.” Reply to this comment.

51. Lazarus Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 2:06 am

    51 If I told you I was eleventy hundred and twelve would you believe me? Reply to this comment.

52. Chuck Norris Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 2:46 am

    52 Biblical references record people of even older ages. You must not have heard about Wayhigh’s Law, part of which is as follows, “The first person to use the bible as an authoritative source in an argument instantly loses the argument.” I’m sorry, but may I point out the law of @$$hole-ery. “The first person to say that a person instantly loses an argument by quoting a Bible gets a round house kick to the face by Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee beating them with their own spine, and a piece of lemon squirted in their eye. This practice may go past the first said person.” Well said. Reply to this comment.

53. Tom Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 3:13 am

    53 He is dead now, so I guess the world is back on track. I do have to wonder why he married 23 wives…didn’t he learn after the first one? That means 23 mother-in-laws…wouldn’t that kill you faster. Jeeze, 23 wives and putting up with them for 256 years? That poor guy couldn’t catch a break! Reply to this comment.

54. Josh Madsen Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 3:46 am

    54 Why dont they dig him up and carbon date his bones? Reply to this comment.

55. feenix13 Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 4:02 am

    55 What’s to say that people aren’t capable of living for more that 120/130 years. Humans have so many other things that kill them on a regular basis. If someone that had the potential to live longer died in a car accident the world would never know what the potential was. Old age used to be 40 back in the day, what would THEN think of people NOW, working and being vibrant members of society until their 70 and older. Just food for thought. Reply to this comment.

56. John, Sartell, MN, USA Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 4:10 am

    56 Well, before we start looking for Robert Anson Heinlein’s fictional Lazarus Long (aka Woodrow Wilson Smith, Et Al.)Who appeared in “Methusila’s Children”, “Time Enough for Love”, “To Sail Beyond the Sunset”, Natural death apears to occour at a rate of 50% of a population for each eight or nine years of life beyond a certain age with women entering this phase about eight or nine years older than men (a result of having two X chromosones). Thus the Chinaman has a one in sixteen million chance of surviving to such an age if he reaches the age of 64. At that time few survived to age 64. My pet theory on Progeria: It might be a Growth Hormone defiency, treatable with Human Groth Hormone produced by gene enginered bacteria. Perhaps the Chinaman had a pituitary conditiond that kept his Groth Hormone levels high, but not high enough to cause Acromeglia (and make him look like Ted ‘Lurch’ Cassidy, or “Jaws” in the James Bond movies. Reply to this comment.

57. Bob Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 4:22 am

    57 oxygen? Well if that were the case don’t you think every poultry farmer and hot house owner in the states wouldn’t be raising their stock in a pure Oxygen emviroment, to double or tripple their yield. Your’re going to have think a little deeper than that, my friend. How do the cells communicate? What turns on and off aging genes. Why are they even an aspect of genome?Where do the plants get their energy, and we indirectly through them? To answer your questions in order Cells communicate by using hormones. Any genes are turned on and off by transcription factors. “Aging genes” get destroyed by the bodies immune system mainly by protien degradition or in the worst cases by the bodies anti cancer genes. Plants get their energy from the same source that we do. Cellular respiration takes place in plants the same way it does in humans. What plants produce themselves is the sugars that are broken down in cellular respiration. Reply to this comment.

58. Wycked Knight Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 4:23 am

    58 i have heard a simular story relating to a Englishman almost to simular in fact. i have to feel this is either a hoax or just a old wives tail. in the englishmans story he body was pure from not eating highly seasoned foods, and died after eating dinner with the kind at the time in which the food was to heavily seasoned. Reply to this comment.

59. =Thomas Haberthaler Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 4:31 am

    59 I can easily believe these things where many others seem to be unwilling or unable to. I once read a book when I was a child that taught me that the only reason pepole die, is because they believe they will. I was pleased to read and learn about count St. Germain, now this. I believe that “What a man thinketh upon, he becomes.” I think I’m becoming healthier every day, stronger every day and happier every day! I’m not becoming older, I’m becoming better. I believe I’m becoming wiser, and richer and more adept, with every tick of the closk. and let me tell you, I feel good! Reply to this comment.

60. BILLYBOB Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 4:34 am

    60 “And doctors admit that there is no physiological reason for ageing” My wife and me is homeschooling our 9 kids to be doctors. in the “Evilgelical Book of Medicine” it says the reason for ageing is cuz man strays from the WORD. seems this chinese guy wasn’t a demoncrat Reply to this comment.

61. Tom Haberthaler Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 4:44 am

    61 He reminds me in that picture of Sai Baba. I’m presently taking fish oil, niacin, mens vitamins (I wont mention the brand name here) ginsing and garlic pills and the world is absolutely mine. I can outwork any two people I know, I feel incredibly good all the time and nobody that I tell that I’m 47 can believe that I’m actually 47. But it’s true, I was born in October of 1960…I drink cranbery juice from time to time and do a lot of gardening. I believe that gardening is a key to longevity as well as these other things that I’ve mentioned. That fresh air and sunshine. Reply to this comment.

62. alientro Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 5:17 am

    62 For all those right brainers, who think they blog something of value, ask yourself this question, “Why were plants and animals so much larger in the past?” Even 15,000 years ago, giant bears, giant elk, giant sloth, giant Mammoth, and yes even giant men. Where do think this is coming from? Go back even further, dragon fly 3 feet long, conifers 1000 feet tall, look at the fossil records! If you don’t believe in life force energies I suggest you take a second look at history, and then ask yourself how these (lower life forms) were able to out perform us? The answers are hidden in plain site, right under your noses, or perhaps over your head, every day. You think stories sre longevity are just fables? Think again. Just a suggestion, perhaps you should wake up from your slumber party. There is conclusive evidence that the Oxygen levels as far back as 200 million years ago was as high as 50%. Today O2 levels are around 19% and the rest is nitrogen and other gasses. That is the reasoning behind the large species that roamed the earth. O2 levels for some reason around 30k years ago plummeted from 30% to 20%. A sudden change in the O2 levels could account for species becoming smaller and living longer. Most of the oxygen we breathe in, has what’s called a free radical. This is when only one of the oxygen molecules bind with carbon and leave a free oxygen atom floating around or even binding with another oxygen to make O3. These free radicals are like tiny knives that mutate and destroy DNA / RNA and speed up the aging process. This is where anti-oxidants come in to play. This relates to this article because this man was a herbal genius that probably knew of the properties found in antioxidants. I am skeptical on his claimed age but I do believe he probably made it to over 150 years old. Reply to this comment.

63. tom Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 5:29 am

    63 “There are Yogis in India who have lived for over 300 years. Some of them have addresses and you can go to visit them.” And it must be true because an internet guy said that an Indian guy said it was true, and if you ask him he will tell you that he’s correct. Reply to this comment.

64. John V Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 5:46 am

    64 I can see where poor records and no government number system can cause the government to believe 3 different people are the same person over the course of 2 centuries. Probably burocracy going amuck is the best reason and of course 3 different people played along for the ride possibly with the same name. Reply to this comment.

65. tuxb Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 9:12 am

    65 Sometimes weird things happen in humans. Progeria causes people to die of old age by about 13. I remember reading a story about a 2-year-old “bodybuilder”; he just had a condition that gave him a fantastic metabolism. If people can die of old age in 1/6th the usual time, the hyper-rare case of someone living double also seems possible. Reply to this comment.

66. greggo Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 2:20 pm

    66 Remember, these are the people who think powdered rhino horn is viagra. Bullshiat. Reply to this comment.

67. SpamBot Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 2:35 pm

    67 er … isn’t the simplest explanation that he was born in 1836 not 1736 Reply to this comment.

68. Andrew Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 5:09 pm

    68 Three words: “Dread Pirate Roberts” Same name, many men. Reply to this comment.

69. GeekGoddess Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 5:10 pm

    69 I think the secret definitely lies within the use of herbs. It is curious though, if the wives ate the same diet and took the same herbs…. maybe they didn’t? It didn’t say why the wives died. Remember that child birth is not a safe and easy process, especially prior to the advent of modern medicine. Many women died due to complications with pregnancy and birth. Additionally, women took on riskier aspects of managing the household that were more likely to result in some kind of physical harm (cook fires, etc.). Li Ching-Yun gathered and sold herbs for a living and reputedly had 6-inch nails on his right hand… which signified that he did not have to do much physical labor. Reply to this comment.

70. me Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 5:38 pm

    70 look at Yoda he was like 800 or 900 years old. may the farce be with yew.btw was prolly son of a son of a son. not saying it couldn’t happen just prolly didn’t Reply to this comment.

71. tom Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 8:03 pm

    71 The real secret to living a long time is to be a total prick. We all know the cool people go early. Reply to this comment.

72. brian Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 8:19 pm

    72 Dig him up, run some tests. See what the science will show. Reply to this comment.

73. BillyBob Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 11:49 pm

    73 Biblical references record people of even older ages. And doctors admit that there is no physiological reason for ageing. We are homeschooling our 9 kids to be doctors and in the “Evilgelical Book of Medicine” it says the ageing is because of man’s failure to follow the WORD. so the old chinese guy must not have been a demoncrat Reply to this comment.

74. Fred Shaffner Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 11:56 pm

    74 This story simply is not true. I subscribe to both Time and The New York Times online archives and have researched both for this man’s obituary. It does NOT exist in either archive. No one could live to be nearly this old. This is a story that can not be proven… ever. There is not enough evidence to prove it. This may be the story of one man and several of his descendants who chose to take on his identity over the course of several generations. With the lack of birth and death documentation in the past 200 years, these claims can’t be corroborated. Choose to believe this far-fetched stuff if you want. Elvis is still alive and the moon landings were a hoax. This is the stuff of urban legend and nothing more. Reply to this comment.

75. dopplerthesexybeast Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 12:30 am

    75 oxygen? Well if that were the case don’t you think every poultry farmer and hot house owner in the states wouldn’t be raising their stock in a pure Oxygen emviroment, to double or tripple their yield. Your’re going to have think a little deeper than that, my friend. How do the cells communicate? What turns on and off aging genes. Why are they even an aspect of genome? Where do the plants get their energy, and we indirectly through them? Wow… Wow… There are not words for this stupidity. Raising poultry in a 100% oxygen environment would NOT triple or quadruple the output because the chickens would first have to ADAPT through NATURAL SELECTION after many generations to be able to process the oxygen. The chickens as they are have evolved to only be able to process so much oxygen. The reason our dragonflies are smaller is because the environment DID in fact lose oxygen, but gradually. As more oxygen was lost, the dragonflies requiring more weren’t able to pass on their genes–they DIED. The ones requiring less lived, reproduced, and spiralled through the gradual process that has left us with the tiny ones we now know. Cells communicate through molecular, ionic, enzymatic, etc. hormones; genes are turned “on” and “off” by whether or not they are recessive, dominant, or in the presence of a substance that activates them; plants get their energy from glucose via photosynthesis, and when we eat them, we get the starches. Reply to this comment.

76. BF Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 12:33 am

    76 Actually, there are articles on him from the Times and Time. They are listed in the sources above. Here’s the NY Times one: http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0915FE3E5C16738DDDAF0894DD405B838FF1D3 Reply to this comment.

77. ravenscawl Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 6:09 am

    77 It is not uncommon through out some of the more remote regions in Europe and Asia for these claims to exist. My own great-great grandmother was one such.Doctors hear used to joke that when she died they would have to do a bone-age. Reply to this comment.

78. Skeptic Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 8:58 am

    78 I don’t mean to offend anyone, especially with the approaching olympics and all, but the Chinese government is an evil, sociopathic, lying machine. The Chinese government has a known history of manipulating & lying about scientific data, as well as commiting human rights atrocities, all in the name of futhering their political efforts. This story first surfaced in the 1960’s, shortly after China opened its doors to Nixon and the US. However, it was proven shortly afterwards to be nothing more than state sponsored propaganda, to promote the Chinese agenda. Some US researchers were genuinely interested in the possibility of an “Ancient Chinese Secret” for increasing longevity but what they found, only humiliated the Chinese government. Don’t ask me why but the Chinese are retarded that way. I’ve been to China and have a fairly good grasp of their culture. In some ways, it’s beautiful and in other ways, its deeply psychotic and disconected from what the western world considers “reality”. With plenty of exceptions, the Chinese are the sickest population in Asia. It’s something of a cultural title that they sought to change with a few government constructed stories…much like the Bush administrations fake news correspondence, ala the Jessica Lynch lie…. So before everyone gets pumped up on vitamins, chinese herbs and other great life enhancers, you need to consider the obvious, which is/was nothing but a perpetrated lie. If my memory serves me, the guy was like 89 years old…a far cry from 256!!! Much of Asia/China is still steeped in folk traditions, superstition and magical thinking. These things aren’t necessarily bad per’se. But they often get in the way of clear thinking. Chinese Medicine is great stuff but it won’t violate the rules of biology. As far as we “currently” know, 256 violates the rules of biology. It still remains to be seen, but as they say, extrodinary claims require extrodinary evidence. Cheers. Reply to this comment.

79. pingback: Posted: May 7th, 2008 at 12:12 am

    79 Not So Summer-like Randomness « Murphy’s Law […] 256 Year Old Man To believe or not to believe.. […] Reply to this comment.

80. Chris | Martial Development Posted: May 11th, 2008 at 5:14 am

    80 http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/li-ching-yuen-the-amazing-250-year-old-man/ And if you think that is amazing, check this out: http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/yogi-stops-heart-for-six-weeks/ I have more, but I’ll stop there. Reply to this comment.