35-year-old man quits job and starts living in cave as ‘probability of finding true love is very low’

A 35-year-old man in China ditched city life and now lives in a cave. According to him, work and marriage just aren’t for him.

Min Hengcai, from Sichuan province, gave up his job as a ride-hailing driver in 2021. Though he once made around $1,400 a month, he felt work was pointless and stressful. His feelings intensified especially after working long hours to pay off family debts.

He still owes $42,000 but says he’s done trying to repay it, especially since his relatives sold his property. He traded his land for a smaller piece with a nearby cave and spent $6,000 fixing it up as his new home.

Now, he wakes at 8 AM. He reads, walks, grows his own food and goes to bed at 10 PM. He lives simply, only spending on basics. For Min, this peaceful life in nature is exactly what he used to dream about back in the busy city.

Min calls the cave the “Black Hole”, which he says is his whole universe and a reminder of how small he is in the world.

His cave life sparked major buzz online. He shares his simple lifestyle online, with 40,000 followers.

Min has told Sichuan Television that marriage is “a waste of time and money”. Finding true love is so rare that it’s not worth the effort, according to him.

“The probability of finding true love is very low. Why would I want to work hard for something so rare?” the South China Morning Post quoted him as saying.

SCMP quoted some social media users as calling him “tang ping”, a term for folks who just want to chill and do the bare minimum. Others praised him as a “true philosopher”.

However, not everyone was impressed. They believe he’s not exactly off the grid since he’s doing interviews and live streaming.

Daniel Suelo: The Man Who Quit Money

Min may remind many of Daniel Suelo, who lived in a cave near Moab, Utah, for 16 years. Born as Daniel James Shellabarger, he chose a life without money.

Suelo said the lifestyle felt freeing. A friend called him “the happiest person” he knew. In 2016, Suelo returned to care for his parents and later shared his story online. His journey inspired a book, The Man Who Quit Money.

“...we all live moneyless at our core, in our everyday actions with friends, family, and even strangers…” Suelo said in an interview with Becoming Minimalist.

“Even if people don’t intend on giving up money, they can still find that it isn’t the end of the world if they lose their money,” he added.