A man who cryogenically preserved his wife has found a new partner years later, sparking criticism on social media.
Imagine being in a relationship only to discover that your partner’s deceased wife is preserved in a vat of sub-zero liquid nitrogen, awaiting a future revival.
This unusual situation is the reality for a woman in China, who is now in a relationship with 57-year-old Gui Junmin.
In 2017, Junmin chose to preserve his late wife cryogenically, hoping for a future cure for her lung cancer.
Zhan Wenlian became the first person in China to undergo cryopreservation, and she remains stored in a -320°F unit labeled ‘Container No. 1’ at the Shandong Yinfeng Life Science Research Institute.
Globally, around 500 individuals are cryogenically preserved, with the majority located in the United States.
Wenlian was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2017, and with limited options, Junmin decided to enroll her in an experimental program.
“When she left, my world collapsed; I didn’t know what to do,” he reportedly said at the time.
However, in November 2025, reports surfaced in Chinese media that Junmin had begun dating and was cohabitating with a new partner since 2020.
After living alone for two years, a severe gout attack led him to reconsider his situation, according to the Maeil Business Newspaper.
The publication reported that Junmin collapsed due to the attack and was found two days later by relatives who forcibly entered his home.
“If something really happens when you’re alone, there’s nothing that that person can do. No one can know even if they die at home,” Junmin said.
This experience prompted him to open up to meeting and living with Wang Chun-sha.
Online backlash followed, with some questioning how his late wife would feel about him moving on, whether enough time had passed, and suggesting his devotion was self-centered.
One commenter wrote: “Now he is holding one woman in his arms while hoping to reunite with another in 30 years. What is this: emotional polygamy?”
Another critiqued: “If that is the case, why start a new relationship? If you do, why not treat your new partner with genuine care? This kind of so-called devotion is not noble; it is selfish.”
Others defended him, with one stating: “The past is the past, and the living must continue to live.”
Another remarked: “This man is an honest and good person. First of all, he must have loved his deceased wife very much, otherwise he wouldn’t have wanted to preserve a last vestige of memory through cryogenics, just as he said, so he could visit her whenever he missed her; he didn’t truly want to forget her.
“But humans are emotional beings, and it’s normal for people to develop feelings through interactions with others, so finding a new partner isn’t surprising. Life goes on, but his deceased wife still holds a place in his heart; these aren’t contradictory.”
Despite being in a relationship and living with his new partner, Junmin maintains he’s still in love with his late wife.
“She hasn’t entered my mind yet,” he said, as per Dexerto. “I have a responsibility for her, but it’s a complicated matter. She can never replace my wife. I can’t just forget the past, but I still have to live my life.
“I don’t care about her, she can go wherever she wants.”