Chinese Man Ditches Job, Wife Hunt To Live In A Cave: “Jobs, Marriages Are Meaningless’

Last Updated:June 11, 2025, 20:48 IST

Min Hengcai walked away from urban life, debt and social expectations to live alone in a cave in China’s Sichuan province.

A representative AI-generated image showing a Chinese man living simply near a cave in Sichuan. (IMAGE: DALLE 3)

A 35-year-old man from China’s Sichuan province has abandoned urban life, deeming work and marriage pointless and moved into a cave where he has now lived for four years, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

Min Hengcai, a former ride-hailing driver who earned around 10,000 yuan (roughly $1,400) a month, said the relentless work wore him down. Long hours and accumulating debt led him to question the meaning of it all. “I worked over 10 hours a day just to repay loans. It felt meaningless," he told local media.

When he decided to leave his former life, Min was still burdened with $42,000 of debt. He stopped trying to repay it, and his relatives eventually sold his assets to settle what they could. He then exchanged land with a villager to gain access to a nearby cave and used his $6,000 savings to convert the 50-square-metre space into a minimalist home.

Min now occupies his time farming, walking, and reading. He wakes at 8 am, works his land, and retires by 10 pm. He cultivates most of his own food and spends very little money otherwise.

Describing marriage as a “waste of time and money", Min said the pursuit of love or wealth never attracted him. “The probability of finding true love is very low. Why would I work hard for something so rare?" he asked. He refers to his cave as a “black hole" which to him is a symbol of his own insignificance.

Despite rejecting modern life, Min maintains an active social media presence, sharing aspects of his cave life with over 40,000 followers.

Min’s situation recalls the case of Daniel Suelo from the United States, who relinquished money entirely in 2000 and lived for over a decade in a cave near Moab, Utah. Suelo rejected debt, consumerism, and conventional employment, subsisting instead on foraged food, roadkill, and discarded items. Like Min, he documented his experiences and attracted both acclaim and criticism for his unconventional lifestyle.

Another notable parallel is Mauro Morandi, often dubbed “Italy’s Robinson Crusoe", who lived alone on Budelli Island for over 30 years after forsaking his job and the mainland. Morandi transformed an abandoned Second World War shelter into his home, relying on solar power and cultivating his own food. He, too, sought a tranquil, self-sufficient existence away from the pressures of modern society, much like Min.

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Beijing, China

News viral Chinese Man Ditches Job, Wife Hunt To Live In A Cave: “Jobs, Marriages Are Meaningless’