China's Loneliest Man Shows Me His World

How long do you think you could live in total isolation?Days?Weeks?Months?Well today I'm searching for a man that's been living alone on a mountain for years.The idea of solitude is something that's always fascinated me.

Maybe it's because we're living in an increasingly connected society and I often have thoughts of what life would be like living totally alone.I want to explore this more, so I've come to Hebei, China, a mountainous green province that I know almost nothing about.I want to try to spend time with a man that seems to have been left behind as the world moved forward.He lives on a mountain, no road, no neighbors, and no way to reach him except on foot.I want to find out what he knows that the rest of us have forgotten.And joining me today is a very, very special guest.

Hong Lin, you know this area.fairly well, right?You know this part of China fairly well.

My hometown is not quite far from this place.So we have similar language and I know the people, so it's not so far from here.

Honglin makes some of the best YouTube content I've ever seen.She's such an incredible storyteller.She goes to the most interesting parts of China.She kind of does what I do in a more produced way and in a way less annoying way There's no better person in the world to join me on this adventure And she speaks perfect Chinese and I speak 12 words of Chinese this man that lives on this mountain He as I said, he leaves completely alone.He lives in complete isolation, you know hours away from the nearest town or village So we thought why don't we bring him a gift?Cigarettes and a machete.

I think they're the two things that any man in his life should have so we're going to visit a blacksmithSomething like this?How many years have you been a blacksmith for?And is this a family business?Do you hope that your family continue to do the same craft that you do?Thank you, sir.

There's something so beautiful, making something with your hands.I mean, this was, that was a tree once, and that was in the ground somewhere.And now it's a thing that someone can use.How does it feel that your son might not continue the same profession as you?Something that's been happening for generations in this part of China.If this profession, if this trade dies out and young people stop doing it, how do you think that will affect the farmers and the local communities and the people like this man that rely on these tools for survival?

In China, there is a big factory that can produce more than what we can produce now.It's cheaper.But look at us.Some real farmers have to use our land.Because our land is real.But now, we can only produce a little bit of fake steel.

It's either liquid steel, or solid steel.

That looks like a bloody good thing to me.Thank you so much, sir.Finished?I have a gift for you.Obviously, we're going to pay you as well.So this knife cost me 80 yuan, which is about $11 $12 and everywhere in China you can just scan and we're gonna give him a bit extra as well Tell him I've given him a bit extra as a just because he was spent so much time answering my stupid questions I've given him an extra 20 yuan.

Okay That is a cool bit of craftsmanship.

Xie xie pao miao.Tell him he's an excellent blacksmith.I'll recommend him to all of my Chinese friends.

eSIMs are pre -installed SIM cards inside your device, which means you don't have to worry about dealing with physical SIM cards.It's extremely easy to use.Here's how it works.You get an eSIM from Barilo before your trip.Install the eSIM, land in the country, activate it, and immediately connect.It's that easy.

Aerolo has eSIMs available in over 200 destinations.They even offer regional eSIMs for places like Europe and Asia.So if you want an easy, hassle -free, and affordable way to stay connected on your travels, download Aerolo now by using the link in the description or by scanning the QR code on screen, and you will get $3 off your first eSIM by using the code MIKE.This hydration break is brought to you by Aerolo eSIMs.

So we've got our knife, we've, for our new friend, we've got, well we need to go get some cigarettes for him.Yes.Because being a Chinese male, he definitely smokes.

I think this will be enough, I think.She said this is a better choice for the local.

Okay, perfect.So we've made itto the very Very very edge of town and now our journey actually begins.We've got our cigarettes We've got our knife thing and now we've got to figure out how to get there Honglin actually came across this man on a hiking trail deep in the mountains a couple of years ago, but She can't quite remember where he is We're going to a village which is right right at the end of this country road and then it's a hike through the mountain and we could start walking but it's probably gonna be A good few hours.Should we see if anyone, should we see who's this is?Maybe this chap can give us a ride.

Right, we might have found a ride.I was too busy eating peas.Okay, xie xie.Once you get into these like rural areas, so much easier to get a ride, isn't it?Right, can't forget my cigarettes, can't forget my water.Oh, fucking hell.

Be careful.He's driving like a madman already.Can you ask him if he likes driving like a race car driver?Bloody NASCAR!Thank you, thank you, thank you.We are officially out there, as the kids would say.

Look at this village, this tiny little village right at the bottom of the mountain, which I would imagine is the closest kind of settlement to where our new friend lives that we haven't met yet.360 degrees by just luscious green hills.

We've got the chaps here having a drink.

Let's go and say a quick hello.I reckon this is the local pub.What are all these flags hungling?Can you ask them what all these flags are?Honglin just said I look so cool with machete on my back.So I'm thinking actually I'm not going to give it to the guy.

I'm going to keep it.What do you think?Even living I think like this far from the nearest town or the nearest city is already quite remote.It's already quite isolated living in any of these houses.I can't imagine what it would be like to live another hour or two into the mountain completely alone.Road's finished.

We're now on a trail.So you're a part -time singer and a part -time farmer farm during the day and Create during the night.I love that.What do you love?What do you love about singing?What do you love about creating music?

I started to learn this thing Which mountain has two mountains?Which mountain has two mountains?It's all planted by the farmer But the farmer, as soon as he comes out of the Gersheng Mountain Okay, he's on the opposite side of the mountain A lot, a lot of people say You have one hand, I have one hand, you have one hand, I have one hand It's dark all day long, he's singing, it's getting closer and closer, isn't it?Do you understand what I mean?

Steep on camera, but they are some seriously steep steps.You okay?

Yeah, I know.

You know, it is so slippery.This is the second cave I've been to.about three days.Wow, I wonder how far it goes.Instantly cool the second you get into a cave like this.

That's a better shot.

So we're actually going to be passing through this cave to get to the other side to reach our friend.See the other side, the other exit, the entrance to the cave over there.Wow, this is so cool, dude.I wonder if we'll see any bats, but maybe not.That's the way we came and this is the way we're going.You okay?

Sorry, I've taken the torch.Sorry, Honglin.I've just realized I've taken Honglin's torch and just left her.Wait, let's turn off our torches for two seconds and see how dark it is.Ready?

I don't like that.I don't like that.

That was cool.I've never passed through a cave before to get somewhere else.Caves are usually like, go in, look around, too dark.Let's go.That was interesting, man.One kilometer cave.

Wow.Honglin, tell me about this sign.

So the sign interesting thing is writing the local language.Dong lei qu hei.

Dong lei qu hei.

Dong lei qu hei.

Qu hei.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Means it's really really dark inside the cave and the ground is quite slippery.

Well they weren't reallyIt is very very dark.We are approaching cave number two of the journey.Wow, look at the size of this thing.Jesus, I wonder what these walls were.Huge stone bricks cut by hand I'd assume.

Ah, yeah, you're right.That's where the door would have been.I'd really love to know some more information about this.I don't know how old these are at all, but I know that during the Mongol invasion, In around the 13th century, forts were put up all over China to try to deflect the Mongol Empire.This place, man.That's an echo.

The atmosphere in this place is just incredible.We've got these birds flying around.

I don't know if you can see them.

I wish you could see what I'm seeing.The camera just does not do it justice.I've never seen something like this.Oh my God, dude.

Come on, big one.

wasn't big enough.

We're stepping into another world.

It's literally like we're stepping into another world.It's like we're stepping into a portal from the real world to the fantasy world.Let's go.So beautiful coming out of that and then straight into this like pine forest, I guess.Why, do you have your torch with you, Hong Lin?I think we might need it.

I don't, oh, sorry, not this one.Some small side caves.It's a shame people have come and left all this shit here.It almost looks like it's been like cut, like a tunnel.like someone's made this you can see how perfect the entrance looks it's natural it's completely natural Honglin just pointed out again this looks like it would have had a beam like to hold the door shut right because on this side it looks like there's another one there I wonder what this was dude this man we don't know his name I've got no idea what his name is all I know is that he lives all the way out here completely alone in solitude and it looks like this is the gate to his home and look at this he also has absolutely no idea that we're comingSo I might need to turn the camera off a little bit.

He might not welcome us.He might tell us to f**k off.Look at the entrance to his house.What did he say?

Yay!

Can I come in?What's your name, sir?Yes, Mr. Ching, I bought some gifts.First of all, thank you so much for allowing us to come into your home.I know that this is a sacred place for you.You live here by yourself.

Thank you so much for allowing a stranger to come in.I bought you some gifts.We got this made specially in Lichuan this morning.We got it handmade by a blacksmith.And I figured since you're out here growing all of your own crops, me and my friend together, Wanted to bring you a gift of a tool and some cigarettes.Xiexie ni.

I'm making a story about unique people that live in unique places.When I heard about you and you living here all by yourself, it really inspired me to get out of the city and to come and explore somewhere like this.

So how many years have you been alone in this house?

And why did you decide to stay?Why didn't you decide to move to the city?Go past that gate, when you go through that gate and that cave, you're completely and utterly in his world.

It's just down here.

Quite literally standing on a sheer cliff drop.That probably goes 100 meters or so, 70, 80 meters.Just right down to the bottom of the mountain.So you are completely self -sufficient up here?

His crops look kind of dead.

Look at the way this guy is housing.This is, we've got a mountain this side and we're completely surrounded by a cliff all the way down.And the only entrance is that cave entrance that we walked through at the beginning.

Do you need to boil it first or is it clean?

What does a typical day look like for you from the morning until the evening?

I have time to dig the ground, work on the farm, weed the grass.I usually weed the grass.There's a lot of grass.

What's this?Cool!That's one way to do it, isn't it?This is green beans.Do you ever get lonely living this life?Were you ever married?

Did you ever think about marriage?

foreign foreign

I'm sure there was a decision whether to go with her if she didn't like this kind of lifestyle I didn't have a phone at that time.I had to write letters.

I'm sorry.

No problem.

How did you feel when you were with her?

I didn't feel anything.She wanted to leave.She said she didn't want to be with me. I said it's okay.

But you two chose to be together.

Yes.

What was her situation with you?

What was her situation?

Why did she want to be with you?

We were different.

Please tell him I'm so so sorry.I'm so so sorry that that happened to you, that someone treated you that way and someone broke your heart.I can tell that you're a really really good man and there are millions of women that would love to be with you, I'm sure.It's a difficult question, but did you ever regret not having children of your own?I wanted to come and visit you because I am I often question myself whether or not I would enjoy living somewhere this remote, this far away from people, this isolated, and to experience this kind of solitude.But I get worried that I would be lonely.

Do you think this is the kind of life that I would like?Do you think this is a life for everybody?Or do you think it's just a life for the few people?

So every place has to follow your nationality.In fact, there is no such thing as living outside.You say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you say, you saya wild boar.He doesn't know how to attack people.We don't have any wolves or anything.

All right, actually, I don't care.You girls are all like that.Don't be afraid.Don't be afraid.Don't be afraid.Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid.Don't be afraid.Don't be afraid.Don't be afraid.Don't be afraid.Don't be afraid.

In fact, you don't walk like that.Which street did you go to?I don't know.You're in your youth.You don't know how to walk forward.You can't walk.

There's no way.

Happiness comes in just being present and just not chasing anything, being in the moment, going fishing, going walking.What does happiness mean to you?

Happiness?How can you be happy when you're in a good mood?Don't be sad.If I don't teach them, they won't eat my meat.I don't teach them that either.Today, I taught them this, but I didn't teach them that.

If I teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.If I don't teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.If I don't teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.If I don't teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.If I don't teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.If I don't teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.

If I don't teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.If I don't teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.If I don't teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.

If I don't teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.

If I don't teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.If I don't teach them that tomorrow, they won't be happy.If I don't teach them that tomorrow, I don't know if it's the poor people or the people in the east.-class people, some of them are happy, some of them are not.The middle -class people are generally happy.For example, if I buy rice, I don't need to pay for it.

It doesn't matter.I just need to fill my stomach with whatever I want to eat.Older people can eat whatever they want.They can fill their stomachs.But if you want to eat something good, you have to pay for it.Thank you.

Thank you so much.

No, no, no.I'm used to eating this.Looks absolutely delicious.

Only the Congress can authorize the launch of war.At the end of February, the United States launched a military operation against Iran.

This is a high -level animal.Anyway, it has to be inherited.It doesn't mean that you have to think about it.

Right then, friend.Thank you so much for the hospitality and thank you for teaching me a little bit about what it means to be happy living alone and be happy having a life like this.Thank you.Thank you, Mr. Ching.Goodbye.Be careful.

Okay.Goodbye, Mr. Ching.I think I came into this expecting to find someone who was escaping the world for a reason.Maybe escaping a world that had been unkind to them.And maybe they carried some kind of bitterness, which is why they choose to live alone.He chooses to be alone here in the mountain.

But actually what I found was a man who may have been one of the most content Deeply happy humans I've ever met and he had a brilliant outlook on life But I think we can all learn from I'll see you on the next one I don't know what we're built.We're gonna do but we're gonna do something fun.See you later.

Ready young Lin