Modern caveman? 35-year-old man ditches work grind to live in a cave, calls marriage a ‘waste of time and money'
Escaping the Grind
A Life of Solitude, Self-Sufficiency, and Social Media
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'Marriage is a Waste of Time and Money'
Philosopher or Escapist?
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In the heart of China's Sichuan province , far from city lights and office cubicles, a man has carved out a radical new way of life—quite literally. Meet 35-year-old Min Hengcai , who has been living in a self-fashioned cave for the past four years, turning his back on modern expectations , societal pressure, and what he calls the 'myths of productivity and love.'According to South China Moaning Post, once a ride-hailing driver earning a respectable 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) a month, Min left behind the chaos of city life at the end of 2021. He abandoned not just his job but also the treadmill of debt, social obligations, and emotional expectations that he says made life feel hollow. Instead, he returned to his hometown and swapped his ancestral land for a smaller plot that came with one unique advantage: a cave.Min has since invested 40,000 yuan (US$6,000) to make the 50-square-metre cavern livable. He calls it his "Black Hole"—not out of despair, but as a declaration of cosmic perspective and a reminder of his own insignificance in the grand scheme of things.Min wakes at 8 a.m., spends his days reading, walking, and tending to vegetables he grows himself, and sleeps by 10 p.m. His needs are minimal, and expenses limited to essential items. He says this is the life he dreamed of during his grueling workdays in the city, where he once toiled ten hours a day to repay family debts.Ironically, his journey into reclusion has also earned him a growing digital audience. With over 40,000 followers, Min shares glimpses of his cave life via livestreams—though critics question if true solitude can coexist with internet fame.If his anti-capitalist lifestyle didn't provoke enough debate, Min's views on marriage certainly did. He believes the institution is not only economically burdensome but statistically futile in delivering love. 'The probability of finding true love is very low. Why would I want to work hard for something so rare?' he asked in a recent interview with Sichuan Television.Unsurprisingly, this statement struck a chord—and a nerve—online. Many have called him a modern philosopher, a living embodiment of the tang ping movement, China's quiet rebellion against relentless hustle culture. Others, more skeptical, argue he's simply opting out rather than facing up.Min's story is dividing the internet. Some hail him as a visionary who's transcended materialism. Others see a man running from reality, hiding behind a lens even as he critiques modern life. But whatever the judgment, one thing is certain—Min Hengcai is living life on his own terms, in a cave he calls home, untethered from clocks, contracts, and commitments.Whether he's the ultimate dropout or an unlikely sage, Min has tapped into a growing restlessness with the structures of success. In the shadows of his Black Hole, he may be quietly asking the biggest question of all: what does it really mean to live?
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Economic Times
3 days ago
- Economic Times
Young man quits Rs 1 lakh+ job to live in a cave, says finding true love is hard, marriage 'a waste of time'
Min Hengcai, a 35-year-old from Sichuan, China, chose cave life. He left his ride-hailing job and city behind. Min found modern life meaningless. He converted a cave into a home. He grows vegetables and uses social media. Min earns money through live-streaming. He rejected marriage. Public reaction is divided on his lifestyle. Some admire his choice. Others question his isolation. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads From driving to isolation Life inside the cave Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Rejects marriage and love Public reaction divided A 35-year-old man from China's Sichuan province has left behind city life, a steady job, and the pursuit of marriage to live in a cave, according to a report by South China Morning Post. Min Hengcai , once a full-time ride-hailing driver, now lives in solitude, saying he finds modern life Hengcai worked over 10 hours a day to repay family debts but found no satisfaction in his job. In 2021, he quit his $1,400-a-month work and moved to the countryside, trading a piece of land for a smaller plot with a spent $6,000 to convert the 50-square-meter cave into a livable home. Despite owing $42,000 to banks, Hengcai has stopped trying to repay it. He said he was deeply disappointed when his relatives sold off his follows a quiet daily routine. He wakes up at 8 am, reads, walks, and works on his land, and goes to bed by 10 pm. He grows his own vegetables and spends only on necessary items. He calls his cave a 'black hole,' saying it reminds him of his small place in the his isolation, Min uses social media and has gained 40,000 followers. He now earns money through live-streaming. He said the idea of a simple life had always appealed to has also rejected the idea of marriage. 'The probability of finding true love is very low. Why would I want to work hard for something so rare?' he told Sichuan Television. He described marriage as 'a waste of time and money.'Min's lifestyle has stirred mixed reactions online. Some users described him as 'tang ping,' a Chinese slang for doing the bare minimum. Others admired his choices, calling him a 'true philosopher,' even though he has only a basic education.'This is life in heaven,' one user a section of the public questioned his claims of isolation, noting that he regularly live-streams and gives interviews, which they say goes against the idea of living in seclusion.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Young man quits Rs 1 lakh+ job to live in a cave, says finding true love is hard, marriage 'a waste of time'
A 35-year-old man from China's Sichuan province has left behind city life, a steady job, and the pursuit of marriage to live in a cave, according to a report by South China Morning Post. Min Hengcai , once a full-time ride-hailing driver, now lives in solitude, saying he finds modern life meaningless. From driving to isolation Min Hengcai worked over 10 hours a day to repay family debts but found no satisfaction in his job. In 2021, he quit his $1,400-a-month work and moved to the countryside, trading a piece of land for a smaller plot with a cave. He spent $6,000 to convert the 50-square-meter cave into a livable home. Despite owing $42,000 to banks, Hengcai has stopped trying to repay it. He said he was deeply disappointed when his relatives sold off his properties. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Air conditioners without external unit. (click to see prices) Air Condition | Search Ads Search Now Undo Life inside the cave Min follows a quiet daily routine. He wakes up at 8 am, reads, walks, and works on his land, and goes to bed by 10 pm. He grows his own vegetables and spends only on necessary items. He calls his cave a 'black hole,' saying it reminds him of his small place in the world. Despite his isolation, Min uses social media and has gained 40,000 followers. He now earns money through live-streaming. He said the idea of a simple life had always appealed to him. Live Events Rejects marriage and love Min has also rejected the idea of marriage. 'The probability of finding true love is very low. Why would I want to work hard for something so rare?' he told Sichuan Television. He described marriage as 'a waste of time and money.' Public reaction divided Min's lifestyle has stirred mixed reactions online. Some users described him as 'tang ping,' a Chinese slang for doing the bare minimum. Others admired his choices, calling him a 'true philosopher,' even though he has only a basic education. 'This is life in heaven,' one user commented. Still, a section of the public questioned his claims of isolation, noting that he regularly live-streams and gives interviews, which they say goes against the idea of living in seclusion.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Modern caveman? 35-year-old man ditches work grind to live in a cave, calls marriage a ‘waste of time and money'
Escaping the Grind A Life of Solitude, Self-Sufficiency, and Social Media You Might Also Like: Fearful of earthquakes, man starts living in a cave. You can stay there too 'Marriage is a Waste of Time and Money' Philosopher or Escapist? You Might Also Like: Man lives like a 'timeless' caveman for experiment, discovers bizarre secret about the human mind In the heart of China's Sichuan province , far from city lights and office cubicles, a man has carved out a radical new way of life—quite literally. Meet 35-year-old Min Hengcai , who has been living in a self-fashioned cave for the past four years, turning his back on modern expectations , societal pressure, and what he calls the 'myths of productivity and love.'According to South China Moaning Post, once a ride-hailing driver earning a respectable 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) a month, Min left behind the chaos of city life at the end of 2021. He abandoned not just his job but also the treadmill of debt, social obligations, and emotional expectations that he says made life feel hollow. Instead, he returned to his hometown and swapped his ancestral land for a smaller plot that came with one unique advantage: a has since invested 40,000 yuan (US$6,000) to make the 50-square-metre cavern livable. He calls it his "Black Hole"—not out of despair, but as a declaration of cosmic perspective and a reminder of his own insignificance in the grand scheme of wakes at 8 a.m., spends his days reading, walking, and tending to vegetables he grows himself, and sleeps by 10 p.m. His needs are minimal, and expenses limited to essential items. He says this is the life he dreamed of during his grueling workdays in the city, where he once toiled ten hours a day to repay family his journey into reclusion has also earned him a growing digital audience. With over 40,000 followers, Min shares glimpses of his cave life via livestreams—though critics question if true solitude can coexist with internet his anti-capitalist lifestyle didn't provoke enough debate, Min's views on marriage certainly did. He believes the institution is not only economically burdensome but statistically futile in delivering love. 'The probability of finding true love is very low. Why would I want to work hard for something so rare?' he asked in a recent interview with Sichuan this statement struck a chord—and a nerve—online. Many have called him a modern philosopher, a living embodiment of the tang ping movement, China's quiet rebellion against relentless hustle culture. Others, more skeptical, argue he's simply opting out rather than facing story is dividing the internet. Some hail him as a visionary who's transcended materialism. Others see a man running from reality, hiding behind a lens even as he critiques modern life. But whatever the judgment, one thing is certain—Min Hengcai is living life on his own terms, in a cave he calls home, untethered from clocks, contracts, and he's the ultimate dropout or an unlikely sage, Min has tapped into a growing restlessness with the structures of success. In the shadows of his Black Hole, he may be quietly asking the biggest question of all: what does it really mean to live?
