How ancient China ‘borrowing longevity’ custom helps to extend lifespan of seriously ill people

A superstitious Chinese custom known as “borrowing longevity” involved performing a ritual to pray to the gods when a relative was seriously ill. During this ritual, individuals would voluntarily offer to shorten their own lifespans in hopes of extending the patient’s life. In ancient China, people held a profound belief in fate, considering a person’s lifespan predetermined and unchangeable. However, they also believed that life expectancy could be borrowed or exchanged. When parents were...