An incredible love story has come out of China recently and managed
to touch the world.
It is a story of a man and an older woman who ran off to live and
love each other in peace for over half a century.



The 70-year-old Chinese man who hand-carved over 6,000 stairs up a
mountain for his 80-year-old wife has passed away in the cave which
has been the couple's home for the last 50 years.

Over 50 years ago, Liu Guojiang a 19 year-old boy, fell in love with
a 29 year-old widowed mother named Xu Chaoqin..

In a twist worthy of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, friends and
relatives criticized the relationship because of the age difference
and the fact that Xu already had children.

At that time, it was unacceptable and immoral for a young man to
love an older woman.. To avoid the market gossip and the scorn of
their communities, the couple decided to elope and lived in a cave
in Jiangjin County in Southern ChongQing Municipality.

In the beginning, life was harsh as hey had nothing, no electricity
or even food. They had to eat grass and roots they found in the
mountain, and Liu made a kerosene lamp
that they used to light up their lives.

Xu felt that she had tied Liu down and repeatedly asked him, 'Are you
regretful? Liu always replied, 'As long as we are industrious, life
will improve.'

In the second year of living in the mountain, Liu began and
continued for over 50 years, to hand-carve the steps so that his
wife could get down the mountain easily.

Half a century later in 2001, a group of adventurers were exploring
the forest and were surprised to find the elderly couple and
the over 6,000 hand-carved steps. Liu MingSheng, one of their
seven children said, 'My parents loved each other so much, they have
lived in seclusion for over 50 years and never been apart a single
day. He hand carved more than 6,000 steps over the years for my
mother's convenience, although she doesn't go down the mountain
that much.'

The couple had lived in peace for
over 50 years until last week. Liu, now 72 years, returned from his
daily farm work and collapsed. Xu sat and prayed with her husband
as he passed away in her arms. So in love with Xu, was Liu, that no
one was able to release the grip he had on his wife's hand even
after he had passed away.



'You promised me you'll take care of me, you'll always be with me
until the day I died, now you left before me, how am I going to live
without you?'

Xu spent days softly repeating this sentence and touching her
husband's black coffin with tears rolling down her cheeks.
In 2006, their story became one of the top 10 love stories from
China , collected by the Chinese Women Weekly. The local government
has decided to preserve the love ladder and the place they lived as
a museum, so this love story can live forever.

What a beautiful story...thank you

Very good story Thanks.

If that's one of the top ten love stories from China I wonder what the other nine are like.

Thanks for sharing

wonderful,thanks for sharing