Gui Junmin’s decision to cryogenically freeze his wife, Zhan Wenlian, has drawn significant attention and sparked discussions across social media platforms. After Zhan died of lung cancer in 2017, her partner Gui Xiaodong took an extreme and contentious path forward. This decision raised ethical issues and created fascination with the larger implications of cryonics. His tale takes place in Jinan, eastern China. To keep Zhan’s contributions alive, a local advanced science research institute agreed to preserve her body for 30 years, making her the first Chinese person ever to experience this revolutionary procedure.
Gui’s concerns were voiced in an interview with the Chinese newspaper Southern Weekly. He can’t help but feel that Zhan is really not dead. He let her know that he did not think death was the final word. He implied that she’d just gone to lay low for a few days. Reports have verified that Zhan consented to the cryonics procedure prior to her death. This ruling further complicates Gui’s actions.
Gui’s life and work took a different turn when he started dating Wang Chunxia in 2020. He refers to his feelings for her as “utilitarian.” Gui was more forthright when she said that she is not his new soulmate. His motivation to pursue companionship came not from a healthy place but rather from the attack of gout that knocked him bedridden for more than a week. During this period of fragility, Gui found himself with the need for a live-in partner, inspiring him to create this new relationship.
Yet cryonics remains a deeply niche topic. Today, there are only a little under 500 people cryogenically frozen around the globe, the majority of which are housed in the United States. Not surprisingly, major cryogenics labs such as Alcor and the Cryonics Institute were founded out of personal loss. Many of these 400 mission-driven establishments were established by founders with a purpose to preserve their family or buddies for future revival.
Gui’s comments regarding his relationship with Wang have ignited debates on Chinese social media, with many questioning the morality of moving on while still holding onto the hope of reuniting with a deceased spouse. Readers are buzzing about his story over on Reddit. In the subreddit “Am I the Asshole?” millions of users explore the most ridiculous ethical dilemmas and judgment calls on individual accountability.
As these conversations progress, Gui’s plight raises some important questions. These center on the themes of love and loss, and the search for new but weird ways to prevent death. The consequences of his behavior reach beyond his corporeal existence and lead the characters to question societal conventions surrounding mourning and attachment.
The story of Gui Junmin and Zhan Wenlian serves as a poignant reminder of how technology intersects with human emotions. Many view cryonics as a revolutionary development in the fight against death. Some people are concerned about its implications on interpersonal connection and societal mourning.