Throughout history, many have scoffed at the idea of fortune-telling — especially the notion that a fortune teller could accurately predict their own future. Yet in ancient China, there were many such individuals whose predictions extended far beyond vague guesswork. These masters of divination understood nature’s rhythms so deeply that they could forecast not only the fate of others, but their own deaths, down to the hour. While skeptics today may dismiss such stories as superstition, the extraordinary accuracy of these accounts tells a different story.
A scholar turned fortune teller predicts the exact moment of danger
In the Ming Dynasty’s Anhui, there lived a man named Cong Ren (courtesy name Zizhong), who displayed exceptional intelligence from a young age. Originally a Confucian scholar at the Imperial Academy, he later entered government service. He first worked in Jiangxi’s inspection office and was later promoted to a key advisor role in Hubei’s Huangzhou Prefecture.
Cong Ren was known for his wide-ranging knowledge and obsession with obscure books. Over time, his mastery of the cosmos and divination became so advanced that his predictions were rarely, if ever, wrong. Even Jiao Hong — top scorer in the imperial exam during the Wanli era and former instructor to the crown prince — praised his abilities.
Once, while traveling with Jiao Hong by boat to Xunyang, Cong Ren demonstrated his gift in dramatic fashion. As the sun dipped below the horizon, a gang of river bandits began trailing their boat, causing panic among the passengers. Calmly, Cong Ren assured everyone: “Don’t worry. In exactly three quarters of an hour, they’ll leave on their own.” As time passed, the group watched nervously — and sure enough, just as he had predicted, the bandits suddenly turned away.
Another example of his foresight occurred when he was serving in Huangzhou. Before a group of 17 students departed for Beijing to take the imperial exam, they came to him for fortune readings. After looking them over, he confidently predicted that only two would pass — and when the results were released, it was exactly those two who made the list.
Predicting the exact day of death
Sun Shaoxian of Wuxi, Jiangsu, was another reclusive figure known for his remarkable divination skills. Living alone in a courtyard surrounded by ancient pines, he kept company only with his qin (a traditional Chinese zither) and towering trees. When curious passersby asked about the age of one particularly large pine, he would reply: “It was born the same year I was.”
At age 79, Sun fell ill and told his son: “That ancient pine will fall seventy days before I do.” Seven years later, on the Double Ninth Festival, a sudden, violent storm uprooted the tree. Exactly 70 days later, as winter arrived, Sun passed away peacefully — right on schedule.
A similar story comes from Jiangning, Jiangsu, where a man named Zhang Xingwen (courtesy name Renlong), a government-supported scholar, was widely known for his accuracy in astrology and fortune telling. When he turned 78, he calmly bid farewell to his family and friends, clearly stating the date he would pass. He died on that exact day.
A prophecy of a flood 50 years in advance
Another renowned diviner from Wuxi was Wang Ruoshui, courtesy name Yiqing. With a dignified presence and unusual bone structure, he resembled a Taoist practitioner. His son, also skilled in the occult arts, once predicted that Wang’s best burial site would be at the foot of Furong Mountain.
However, not long before his death, Wang warned his son: “Fifty years from now, there will be a massive flood at Furong Mountain that will wash away my grave. After I die, bury me elsewhere.” Those were his final words.
Following Wang’s death, his son chose a new burial site based on his calculations and laid him to rest there. Sure enough, at the end of the Hongzhi era, 50 years later, a flood engulfed the base of Furong Mountain. Locals even reported the appearance of a flood dragon, and nearly the entire mountain was submerged — exactly as Wang Ruoshui had foreseen.
These stories from the Ming Dynasty show us that some ancient Chinese fortune tellers did more than read omens — they tapped into a deeper knowledge of nature and time. Whether predicting the approach of danger, the outcome of an exam, or even the hour of their own death, their accuracy challenges the limits of what we consider possible. Far from superstition, their insights suggest a wisdom rooted in observation, reflection, and spiritual discipline — qualities we could still learn from today.
Translated by Joseph Wu
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