Shi Huangdi search for immortality

Mount Penglai - Mount of Immortals
Source: wikimedia commons

Immortality obsessed many powerful rulers - China first emperor Shi Huangdi wasn't here exception. When he succeed in uniting Chine for first time in history, he started to be obsessed with immortality. Surviving numerous assassination attempts he was now perfectly guarded but still aware that he is mortal. According to legend on Mount Peglai located on:

"(...) a mountainous archipelago in the Yellow Sea where immortality, or a means of obtaining it, was reputed commonplace." Source: Keay, J. China: A History, Kindle edition, p. 103

Shi Huangdi visit the Zhifu Island on Bohai Sea three times in order to find Elixir of Life. When failed he send Taoist Xu Fu with several hundreds boys and girls in search of paradise but they never returned - see below description from John Keay book:

"(...) in 219 BC, he dispatched an expedition to discover the immortals in their so-called Islands of Paradise. Since the chosen explorers consisted of ‘several hundred boys and girls’, he seems to have anticipated the voyage being a long one. He was right; they never returned. Later legend insisted that they had in fact made a landfall in Japan and stayed there." Source: Keay, J. China: A History, Kindle edition, p. 103

Shi Huangdi
Source: wikimedia commons

The next expeditions also do not return. A third expedition was postponed due to rumors about giant fish saw in Yellow Sea, obviously accused for destroying previous expeditions:

"A third expedition was planned in 210 BC though apparently delayed until a large fish could be eliminated. This was more probably a sea monster – the emperor had had a dream about it destroying his fleet." Source: Keay, J. China: A History, Kindle edition, p. 103

Finally Shi Huangdi died in age 50, most probably poisoned by pills that should gave him immortality (was prepared using mercury).

What gave Shi Huangdi immortality was his giant tomb discoverer in 1974 with famous teracotta army. Tomb itself was found but not excavated - Chinese archeologists claim that actual excavations technic do not guarantee safe exploration yet.


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• Rare bird and mythical quest in Chinese Zhou dynasty
• Golden cows

Primary sources:

[1] Keay, J. "China: A History", Kindle edition

[2] Launchistory 

[3] About.COM