What do 73 and 84 in Kong Lin mean? This is directly related to "seventy-three, eighty-four, the prince went uninvited". There is a folk saying that "seventy-three, eighty-four, the ghost king doesn't ask for it." In other words, it is unlucky to live to seventy-three or eighty-four years old, and it is easy to die at this time. Actually, this proverb has no scientific basis. But it has a rather unusual history. The figures of seventy-three and eighty-four are related to the death years of two ancient saints in China, Confucius and Mencius. Confucius was born in 55 1 year BC and died in 479 BC. He is seventy-two years old and seventy-three years old in name only. Mencius was born in 372 BC and died in 289 BC. He is eighty-three years old and eighty-four years old in name only. Because the age of ancient people is calculated by imaginary age, Confucius died at the age of 73 and Mencius was 84. China admired Confucius and Mencius in ancient times, and the theory of Confucius and Mencius also had great influence in China. Therefore, it is considered that the age of Confucius and Mencius' death is unlucky, and people are afraid to learn from Confucius and Mencius, so it is called the "hurdle" of old age, so this statement has been passed down from generation to generation. People are getting old and thin, and the numbers "seventy-three" and "eighty-four" are like magic shadows, always dangling in front of the old man in the middle of the curtain. There has been a folk saying that "seventy-three, eighty-four, the ghost king is not invited." Is that really the case? In fact, the ages of "seventy-three" and "eighty-four" are not mysterious or terrible. They are just the ages when two people died in the history of our nation. One is Confucius, a "sage", who lived for 72 years and died in vain for 73 years; One is Mencius, the "Asian sage", who lived for 83 years and died in vain for 84 years. Because both Confucius and Mencius were "saints", the age of their death became unlucky. The respected Catholic Pope John Paul II, people prayed for his health and longevity, but he did not resist the strict temptation. He died in the spring when he was 84. Our Chairman Mao also left us at the age of 84. Among the old people around us, no more people died at the age of 73 and 84 than at other ages. People's life depends on many factors, and it is extremely important to keep a happy mood. So there is really no need to worry about this unreasonable belief! With the improvement of living standards, people's life expectancy has increased year by year. All previous censuses have proved that octogenarians can be found everywhere in urban and rural areas, so it is not surprising that centenarians are born. According to the research of gerontologists, after 70 years old, the speed of aging and the development of original diseases in the body are slowed down by slow metabolism. Therefore, 73 and 84 years old are not "dangerous ages". Go back to Kong Lin. As soon as visitors enter the Confucius Forest, they can see many big trees on both sides of the road. The tour guide said you could count it. There are 73 trees on one side and 84 trees on the other-representing the longevity of Confucius and Mencius and the memory of future generations. Ah, typical Confucian culture. (To be continued)