And, on emerging relatively unscathed from the deep space experiment, what Wu Shiyun thought was that he would very much like a hot bath and some seafood.
He was one of four chosen to live inside the capsule, which was designed to mimic being on another planet.
The experiment looked at how food and air could be used and sustained under controlled conditions.
Using technology inspired by China's Shenzhou spacecraft, the three men and a woman grew 25 types of plants - including wheat and strawberries.
But it was also a chance to see how four individuals - picked from more than 2,000 candidates - could live together in a space no bigger than a netball court.
They also had to adjust to "Mars time", which is 39 minutes longer than an earth day.
But it transpires they found one very effective way to relax: Tai Chi.
"According to those of us inside the capsule, it did help in soothing our emotions. But further detailed statistical analysis is needed before we reach a specific conclusion," said Tong Feizhou, another volunteer.

West Berkshire Council is setting up an emotional health academy to train psychology graduates and health professionals.
The local authority said, once trained, its staff will work with children, families and schools.
It wants to greatly reduce the wait mental health patients face from 12 months to less than a week.
The council also hopes the new academy will stop problems escalating to the stage where they require attention from more highly trained mental health specialists.
Director of Children's Services Rachael Wardell said: "It works better if you get in there sooner, when people are waiting for help their condition gets worse.
"There are lots more things you can do early on without needing to go to a very high-level with a psychologist or psychiatrist.
"It is a way of bridging the gap."
Plans were submitted to the Department of Health in October and the council hopes to launch the academy in April while contributing about Â£120,000 a year, with local schools matching its total.
Local NHS commissioning groups could also contribute Â£100,000 a year and local businesses are being asked to help out financially as well.

The UN humanitarian co-ordinator for Iraq, Lise Grande, told the BBC Iraq had made this its priority when it won back the east of the city.
But the western side, with its narrow streets, may prove a bigger challenge.
Leaflets warning residents of an imminent offensive have been dropped.
Mosul is the last major base of IS in Iraq, and the operation to drive the militant group from the city started in October.
Iraqi government soldiers, Ms Grande said, "need to ensure that that humanitarian concept of operations is adhered to, and that all of the parties to the conflict do absolutely everything they can to ensure that civilians survive the battle, and that they live".
"Absolutely nothing is more important going into the campaign to retake western Mosul," she said.
Iraqi forces recaptured the eastern part of the city earlier this year and have now all but surrounded the western part.
The US-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes on IS targets.
Winning the city back has never been just about the military objective of driving IS out of its stronghold, the BBC's Sebastian Usher says.
Minimising civilian casualties and avoiding reprisals will be key to regaining the trust of the city's population in the Iraqi state itself, he adds.

The unconscious man was found on the Old Shoreham Road at the junction with Lancaster Road at 03:50 BST.
It is believed he was hit by a vehicle which failed to stop. He has potentially life-threatening injuries, Sussex Police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police quoting Operation Bycroft.
Six months trapped in a tiny capsule with only three other people for company gives a person time to think.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
A council plans to employ its own staff to help young people with mental health problems.
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The safety of hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in Mosul is a key priority, the UN has warned, as Iraqi troops prepare to attack Islamic State (IS) militants in the west of the city.
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A cyclist has been seriously injured in a suspected hit-and-run during the early hours of Saturday in Brighton.