Emperor Qin Shi Huang is known to have dreamed of immortality. He sent expeditions to the east, to the sea, in search of the elixir of immortality. It was believed that there was an island there, filled with immortals possessing a magical potion.
However, scientists have discovered inscriptions in the mountains of Tibet, in Qinghai Province, at an altitude of over four kilometers, indicating that these expeditions also visited western China.
According to the inscription, the expedition was led by the fifth-level great master Yi. They reached Lake Gyaring in the 37th year of Qin Shi Huang's reign and stopped 64 kilometers from Kunlun.
"This is a unique find, confirming for the first time Qin Shi Huang's western expedition," noted the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Although the text was carved in ancient Xiaozhuan script, the official calligraphy style of the Qin Dynasty, and matches existing records, researchers still doubt its authenticity.
Earlier, scientists explained what would happen to the human body if it achieved immortality.