35-Year-Old Chinese Man Lives In A Cave After Quitting Job, Calls Marriage A "Waste Of Time"

Min Hengcai, a 35-year-old man from China's Sichuan province, has opted for a life of solitude in a cave, deeming work and marriage meaningless. After working as a ride-hailing driver for 10 hours a day to repay family debts, he found his job unfulfilling. In 2021, he abandoned his $1,400-per-month job to live in seclusion, away from the pressures of city life, Soutrh China Morning Post reported. 

Notably, Mr Hengcai owes $42,000 to banks but has given up trying to repay it, feeling disappointed after his relatives sold his properties. He traded his land for a smaller plot with a 50-square-meter cave and invested $6,000 to turn it into his simple home.

He follows a simple routine, waking up at 8am to read, walk, and tend to his land, before sleeping at 10 pm. He sustains himself on homegrown vegetables and only spends on essentials. He refers to his cave as a "black hole" to remind himself of his insignificance. 

However, he shares his life on social media, where he's gained 40,000 followers and potential earnings through live-streaming. Mr Hengcai said that he had longed for this simple life while working in the city. He also dismissed marriage, calling it "a waste of time and money," believing the odds of finding true love are too low to pursue.

"The probability of finding true love is very low. Why would I want to work hard for something so rare?" he told Sichuan Television.

His story sparked intense online debate, with some labelling him as "tang ping," or "lying flat," meaning he's doing the bare minimum. Others praised him as a "true philosopher" for rejecting societal norms, despite having only a basic education.

“This is life in heaven", one user said.

However, some people questioned the authenticity of his secluded lifestyle, pointing out that he still engages in live-streaming and gives interviews, which seems contradictory to his claims of living in isolation.