How Long Had Sun Simiao Lived?

How Long Had Sun Simiao Lived?

Recording in the preface of Binglishufu (written by Lu Zhaolin of the Tang Dynasty) was the only direct evidence about the longevity of Sun Simiao. It recorded 'Sun Simiao said since his birth in the Xinyou Year of the Kaihuang Period, he was 93 years old'. But there were disputes over the time of Xinyou Year-581 AD or 541 AD? It is easy to pick holes in both arguments and the whole research, so the conclusion is not reliable. Recordings in Biography of Sun Simiao, which said 'the governor of the Luozhou area marveled at Sun's intelligence and called him the saint child', are also fabricated. According to literature, 'in the 3(rd) year of the Xianqing Period, Sun Simiao was invited by the emperor and lived in the deserted house of the Boyang Princess. He was more than 90 years old and did not have any visual or hearing loss … he was good to give lectures at various schools like Zhuang and Lao … in the Zhou Xuan Emperor Period Sun was tired of royal affairs and chose to be a hermit in the Taibai Mountain' (Tanghuiyao, Datang Xinyu, Tanbinlu). Sun Simiao should have been born in 560 AD. This time conformed to the time of his other events. He was 20 when a hermit and was 99 when he was invited by the Emperor Gaozong in the 3(rd) year of Xianqing. 

Source: Song ZM. Latest evidence about longevity of Sun Simiao. Zhonghua Yi Shi Za Zhi. 2013 Jan;43(1):9-17.