Emperors have long and short life spans, which is the longest-lived emperor in history?
He was not only the longest-lived emperor, but also the one who reigned the longest, sixty-three years, enjoying all the splendor and wealth of the empire in its heyday! He was called the "perfect old man", which is an exaggeration, but he was also known as the most blessed emperor in Chinese history. Calling himself "the perfect old man" is an exaggeration, but he was also known as the most blessed emperor in Chinese history! He was Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, who lived from 1711 to 1799. His grandfather, Kangxi, was truly discerning, basking in the sun amongst more than 100 emperors, and took one look at Hongli's extraordinary character and sent someone to his side to teach him personally!
Hongli was eighty-eight years old! In those days when the average life expectancy of Chinese people was only 30 or 40 years old, that was a very long time! Even among the group of emperors, he was quite remarkable. Only five emperors lived past the age of eighty. Xiao Yan, Emperor Wu of Liang; Empress Wu Zetian; Zhao Gou, Emperor Gaozong of Song; Hubilai, Emperor of Yuan; and Hongli, Emperor Gaozong of Qing. Hongli's highest life expectancy was eighty-eight!
To live a long life, you must first have good genes. Qianlong's father, Yongzheng, was not a long-lived man at the age of 58, but he was well above the average age of Chinese people at the time. Qianlong's longevity and health from a genetic point of view is largely attributed to his mother, Empress Xiao Shengxian, who lived a long and healthy life, accompanying Qianlong on his tours in his 70s and 80s, and finally dying at the age of 86! Empress Xiao Shengxian was one of the greatest empresses in Chinese history.
Besides having a long-lived embryo, Qianlong himself had a knack for good health. He focused on diet and health, like to drink congee, like to eat wild game, loach dishes with, lotus seed soup is Qianlong's standard collocation. Eight precious cakes are also Qianlong's favorite food. His self-created meditation, scraping teeth, lifting the anus, walking after meals is also a good way to maintain health. Qianlong had an in-depth study of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and was also proficient in calligraphy, painting, curiosities and antiques. These ancient and simple interests and hobbies are also very good for physical and mental health.