Li Ching-Yuen was born in 1678 A.D. (Ching Kang Shi 17th Year) in Chyi Jiang Hsien, Szechuan province. Later he immigrated to Kai Hsien, Chen's family field (Chen Jia Charng). He died in 1928 A.D. at the age of 250 years. When he was 71 years old (1749 A.D., Chyan Long 14th Year), he joined the army of provincial Commander-in-Chief Yeuh Jong Chyi. Most of his wives died early, so during the course of his life he married fourteen times.
Li was a herbalist, and skilled in Chi Kung and spent much of his life in the mountain ranges. In 1927 General Yang Sen invited Li to his residence in Wann Hsien, Szechuan province, where a picture was taken of him. Li died the next year when he returned from this trip.After he died, General Yang investigated Li's background to determine the truth of his story, and later wrote a report about him entitled: "A Factual Account of the 250 Year-Old Good-Luck Man" (Er Bae Wuu Shyr Suey Ren Ruey Shyr Jih), which was published by the Chinese and Foreign Literature Storehouse (Jong Wai Wen Kuh), Taipei, Taiwan. All of the information available indicates the story is true. Li Ching-Yuen's legacy to us is the fact that it is possible for a human being to live more than 200 years if he or she knows how. Because of this we deeply believe that, if we humbly study and research, the day will come when everyone will live at least 200 years.
FYI (cultural perspective): In 1678 Vivaldi was born and John Bunyan published Pilgrims Progress.A page offered up by Google reports that the monk Li, Ching-Yuen died at the age of 256 according to an article published in the New York Times on Saturday May 6, 1933 (pg.13)
People interviewed from his home province in 1933 remember seeing Li Ching-Yuen when they were small children, and that the master had not aged much during their lifetime. Others reported that he had been friends with their grandfathers. The truth of his long life died with Li Ching-Yuen and is one of those inscrutable Daoist mysteries that may never be solved.
An interesting sidelight was thrown upon the unique properties of fo-ti-tieng (Gotu Kola) by a 107 year old Indian sage named Nanddo Narian, who claimed that the herb provides the missing ingredient in a man's diet, without which, he can never control disease and decay. He found it to be, in practice, the finest of all herbal tonics and nutrients.
The results of the studies performed upon Gotu Kola by the French in Algeria revealed what appears to be a new vitamin not known in any other food or herb. It was described as the "youth vitamin X" that exerts a rejuvenating influence upon the ductless glands, the healthy functioning of which is, the means by which the brain and body are maintained for healthy activity.
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