A fresh moral debate is unfolding in China after the husband of the country's first cryogenically preserved woman enters a new relationship, raising questions about love, loyalty and the future implications of life-extension science, according to South China Morning Post.
Gui Junmin, 57, a sports industry professional, decided in 2017 to have his wife, Zhan Wenlian, cryogenically preserved after she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Doctors had given her only months to live. Believing cryopreservation was the only way to avoid losing her, Gui signed a 30-year agreement with the Shandong Yinfeng Life Science Research Institute. Zhan, then 48, became China's first person to undergo the experimental procedure, offered free to early volunteers through a partnership with Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, as per SCMP.
Gui lived alone for two years after the procedure. But in 2020, he suffered a severe gout attack that left him immobilised for two days until relatives broke down his door. He later told Southern Weekly that the incident made him realise the risks of living without companionship.
Soon after, a mutual friend introduced him to Wang Chunxia, then an insurance salesperson who initially viewed Gui as a potential client. Their connection deepened, and she eventually became his partner. Gui described Wang as kind, sincere and attentive, caring for him after his coronary stent surgery and supporting him through daily activities.
Yet Gui acknowledged that their life experiences and financial backgrounds differ significantly. He admitted his decision to be with Wang was partly “utilitarian”, saying she has “not entered his heart” and that his late wife remains irreplaceable.
His remarks have fuelled intense debate online. Critics accuse him of “emotional polygamy”, questioning how he can hold “one woman in his arms while waiting for another to return”. Others argue his devotion to his wife has turned into an unhealthy attachment, calling his treatment of Wang distant and unfair.
Gui himself remains conflicted, wondering whether marrying Wang could be considered bigamy if Zhan is revived and how their assets would be handled. While he insists he cannot forget his past, he says he can't live without Wang, leaving him caught between memory, morality and a future no one can predict.
