Li Ching-Yuen

Born 1677
Szechuan, China
Died May 6, 1933 (Aged 256)
Szechuan, China
Cause of death Natural Causes
Height 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Li Ching-Yuen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Li Ching-Yuen or Li Ching-Yun
(simplified Chinese: ; traditional
Chinese: ; pinyin: L Qngyn
(1667- May 6,1933) is the subject of a
Chinese extreme longevity folk legend.
He claimed to be born in 1736, while
disputed records suggest 1677. Both
alleged lifespans of 197 and 256 years far
exceed the longest confirmed lifespan of
122 years and 164 days of the French
woman Jeanne Calment. His true date of
birth was never determined, however it is
unlikely to have been before the year
1810.
[1]
He was reported to be an
herbalist, martial artist, and tactical
advisor.
Contents
1 Legend
2 Longevity
3 References about Master Li
Ching Yuen
4 References
5 External links
Legend
Some claim that Li Ching-Yuen was born in 1677 in Qi Jiang Xian, Sichuan province.
[citation needed]
In a 1930 New York Times article, Professor Wu Chung-chieh of the Chengdu
University discovered Imperial Chinese government records from 1827, congratulating one Li
Ching-Yuen on his 150th birthday,
[2]
and further documents later congratulating him on his 200th
birthday in 1877. In 1928, a New York Times correspondent wrote that many of the old men in Li's
neighborhood asserted that their grandfathers knew him when they were boys, and that he at that
time was a grown man.
[3]
He began gathering herbs in the mountain ranges at the age of ten, and
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also began learning of longevity methods, surviving on a diet of herbs and rice wine. He lived this
way for the first 40 years of his life. In 1749, when he was 71 years old, he moved to Kai Xian to
join the Chinese army as a teacher of the martial arts and as a tactical advisor.
One of his disciples, the Taijiquan Master Da Liu told of Master Li's story: at 130 years old Master
Li encountered an older hermit, over 500 years old, in the mountains who taught him Baguazhang
and a set of Qigong with breathing instructions, movements training coordinated with specific
sounds, and dietary recommendations. Da Liu reports that his master said that his longevity "is due
to the fact that I performed the exercises every day - regularly, correctly, and with sincerity - for
120 years."
[4]
Returning home, he died a year later, some say of natural causes; others claim that
he told friends that "I have done all I have to do in this world. I will now go home." After Li's
death, General Yang Sen investigated the truth about his claimed background and age and wrote a
report about his findings that was later published.
He worked as a herbalist, selling lingzhi, goji berry, wild ginseng, he shou wu and gotu kola along
with other Chinese herbs.
[5]
Li had also supposedly produced over 200 descendants during his life
span, surviving 23 wives.
[6][7]
Ching-Yuen lived off a diet of herbs and rice wine including lingzhi, goji berry, wild ginseng, he
shou wu and gotu kola.
Longevity
The article "Tortoise-Pigeon-Dog", from the May 15, 1933 issue of Time reports on his history, and
includes Li Ching-Yuen's answer to the secret of a long life:
[2]
Tranquil mind
Sit like a tortoise
Walk sprightly like a pigeon
Sleep like a dog
References about Master Li Ching Yuen
Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, in his book "Muscle/Tendon Changing and Marrow/Brain Washing Qigong",
says that Li Ching-Yuen was a Chinese herbalist skilled in Qigong who spent most of his life in the
mountains. In 1927, the National Revolutionary Army General Yang Sen (), invited him to his
residence in Wann Hsien, Szechuan province, where the picture shown in this article was taken.
[8]
Chinese General Yang Sen wrote a report about him, "A Factual Account of the 250 Year-Old
Good-Luck Man" (250), where he described Li Ching Yuen's
appearance: "He has good eyesight and a brisk stride; Li stands seven feet tall, has very long
fingernails, and a ruddy complexion."
[9]
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Stuart Alve Olson's 2002 book "Qigong Teachings of a Taoist Immortal: The Eight Essential
Exercises of Master Li Ching Yuen" teaches the practice of the "Eight Brocade Qigong" learned
with the Taijiquan Master T. T. Liang (Liang Tung Tsai), who learned it from the General Yang
Sen.
[10]
According to legend, Li Ching Yuen was the creator of Jiulong Baguazhang (or Nine Dragons
Baguazhang).
The Taoist Master Liu Pai Lin (), who lived in So Paulo, Brazil from 1975 until 2000, had
in his classroom another photograph of Master Li Ching Yuen unknown to the West. In this photo
his face is clearly visible, as are his long and curled fingernails.
[11]
Master Liu had met him
personally in China, and considered him as one of his Masters. He used to say that Master Li
answered to him that the fundamental taoist practice is to learn to keep the "Emptiness" (Wuji).
Master Liu's son, Master Liu Chih Ming, teaches the 12 Silks Qigong in CEMETRAC, as
transmitted by Master Li.
Some theories say that there may be "transfer" of parent-child roles, son, grandson, thus explaining
their longevity
Many cultures around the world, particularly in India, Tibet and China, tell of remarkable longevity
achieved by spiritual (yogic and taoist) adepts. Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi with Immortal
sage, Babaji and Peter Kelder's The Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth being examples.
[12][13]
References
^ Robert D. Young, Bertrand Desjardins,
Kirsten McLaughlin, Michel Poulain, and
Thomas T. Perls (2010) Typologies of
Extreme Longevity Myths, Current
Gerontology and Geriatrics Research, vol.
2010, Article ID 423087, 12 pages, 2010.
doi:10.1155/2010/423087
1.
^
a

b
"Tortoise-Pigeon-Dog"
(http://www.time.com/time/magazine
/article/0,9171,745510,00.html) . TIME.
May 15, 1933. http://www.time.com
/time/magazine/article
/0,9171,745510,00.html .
2.
^ Ettington, Martin K. (2008).
Immortality: A History and How to Guide:
Or How to Live to 150 Years and Beyond.
Martin Ettington. p. 43.
3.
ISBN 978-1-4404-6493-5.
^ Liu, Da (1983). Taoist Health Exercise
Book. Putnam Publishing Group.
4.
^ Castleman, Michael; Saul Hendler,
Sheldon (1991). The healing herbs: the
ultimate guide to the curative power of
nature's medicines. Rodale Press. p. 206.
ISBN 978-0-87857-934-1.
5.
^ Harris, Timothy (2009). Living to 100
and Beyond. ACTEX Publications. p. 70.
ISBN 978-1-56698-699-1.
6.
^ Miami Herald (October 12, 1929).
"Living forever" (http://news.google.com
/newspapers?id=18gLAAAAIBAJ&
sjid=BlUDAAAAIBAJ&
pg=4235,1125251&dq=) . The Evening
Independent. http://news.google.com
7.



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/newspapers?id=18gLAAAAIBAJ&
sjid=BlUDAAAAIBAJ&
pg=4235,1125251&dq= .
^ Jwing-Ming, Yang (1989).
Muscle/Tendon Changing and
Marrow/Brain Washing Chi Kung: The
Secret of Youth (http://www.ymaa.com
/files/ISBN841.pdf) . YMAA
Publication Centre. ISBN 0-940871-06-8.
http://www.ymaa.com/files/ISBN841.pdf
.
8.
^ Sen, Yang. A Factual Account of the 250
Year-Old Good-Luck Man. Taipei, Taiwan:
Chinese and Foreign Literature
Storehouse.
9.
^ Olson, Stuart Alve (2002). Qigong
Teachings of a Taoist Immortal: The Eight
10.
Essential Exercises of Master Li
Ching-Yuen (http://www.alamut.com
/past/9906_jun.html) . Healing Arts
Press. ISBN 0-89281-945-6.
http://www.alamut.com
/past/9906_jun.html .
^ Lin, Liu Pai; Hayashi, Yoshitsugu;
Shioda, Kenichi (1995). Taoist Chi Kung
Secret Transmission. .
ISBN 4-88481-426-6.
11.
^ Kelder, Peter (1998). The Ancient Secret
of the Fountain of Youth. Bantam
Doubleday Dell Publishing Group.
ISBN 0-385-49162-X.
12.
^ Reid, Daniel (1994). The Complete Book
of Chinese Health and Healing.
Shambhala. ISBN 1-57062-071-7.
13.
External links
[1] (http://www.chinahand.com/qigong/a_story_of.htm) A Story of Master Li.
[2] (http://www.chinahand.com/qigong/from_da_liu.htm) More on Li Ching-Yuen - from
Da Liu.
[3] (http://www.ninedragonbaguazhang.com/whatis.htm) Jiulong Baguazhang, also known
as Nine Dragon Eight Diagram Palm, conceived by the Daoist sage Li Ching Yuen.
[4] (http://www.ninedragonbaguazhang.com/jiuhist.htm) The History of Jiulong
Baguazhang.
[5] (http://www.zubeco.com/gotukola/lichingyuen.html) Li Ching-Yuen: the most famous
user of Gotu Kola (known in China as fo-ti-tieng).
[6] (http://wongkk.com/answers/ans01b/nov01-3.html) Wong Kiew Kit answers to readers
questions (question number ten is about Li Ching-Yuen).
pt:Liu Pai Lin Portuguese Wikipedia's Article about the Taoist Master Liu Pai Lin.
[7] (http://www.cemetrac.com.br/) (Portuguese) CEMETRAC - Centro de Estudos da
Medicina Tradicional e Cultura Chinesa.
[8] (http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/li-ching-yuen-the-amazing-250-year-old-man/)
Li Ching Yuen obituary as printed in the New York Times.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Li_Ching-Yuen&oldid=543105036"
Categories: Chinese baguazhang practitioners Longevity claims Longevity traditions
Qing Dynasty Taoists Republic of China Taoists 1933 deaths Sportspeople from Chongqing
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