Zong Zi in the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival)

Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival)

The Dragon Boat Festival , also called the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese calendar. For thousands of years, the festival has been marked by eating zong zi (glutinous rice（糯米）wrapped to form a pyramid using bamboo or reed leaves) and racing dragon boats.

5th day of the 5th lunar month

The festival is best known for its dragon-boat races, especially in the southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes. This regatta（赛舟会）commemorates the death of Qu Yuan , an honest minister who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river.

Qu was a minister of the State of Chu situated in present-day Hunan and Hubei provinces, during the Warring States Period (475-221BC)（战国时期）. He was upright, loyal and highly esteemed for his wise counsel that brought peace and prosperity to the state. However, when a dishonest and corrupt prince vilified Qu, he was disgraced and dismissed from office. Realizing that the country was now in the hands of evil and corrupt officials, Qu grabbed a large stone and leapt into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month. Nearby fishermen rushed over to try and save him but were unable to even recover his body. Thereafter, the state declined and was eventually conquered by the State of Qin.

Qu Yuan

The people of Chu who mourned the death of Qu threw rice into the river to feed his ghost every year on the fifth day of the fifth month. But one year, the spirit of Qu appeared and told the mourners that a huge reptile（爬行动物）in the river had stolen the rice. The spirit then advised them to wrap the rice in silk and bind it with five different-colored threads before tossing it into the river.

During the Duanwu Festival, a glutinous rice pudding called zong zi is eaten to symbolize the rice offerings to Qu. Ingredients such as beans, lotus seeds（莲子）, chestnuts（栗子）, pork fat and the golden yolk of a salted duck egg are often added to the glutinous rice. The pudding is then wrapped with bamboo leaves, bound with a kind of raffia and boiled in salt water for hours.

The dragon-boat races symbolize the many attempts to rescue and recover Qu's body. A typical dragon boat ranges from 50-100 feet in length, with a beam of about 5.5 feet, accommodating two paddlers seated side by side.

A wooden dragon head is attached at the bow, and a dragon tail at the stern（船尾）. A banner hoisted on a pole is also fastened at the stern and the hull is decorated with red, green and blue scales edged in gold. In the center of the boat is a canopied shrine behind which the drummers, gong（铜锣）beaters and cymbal（铙钹）players are seated to set the pace for the paddlers. There are also men positioned at the bow to set off firecrackers, toss rice into the water and pretend to be looking for Qu. All of the noise and pageantry creates an atmosphere of gaiety and excitement for the participants and spectators alike. The races are held among different clans, villages and organizations, and the winners are awarded medals, banners, jugs of wine and festive meals.

Yue Opera (越剧)——Chinese Opera

一、简要描述

越剧流行于浙江、上海、江苏等许多省、市、地区，它发源于浙江省绍兴地区嵊县一带，清末在曲艺"落地唱书"的基础上吸收余姚滩簧、绍剧等曲种、剧种的剧目、曲调、表演艺术而初步成型，当时称为"小歌班"或"的笃班"。1916年进入上海时称为"绍兴文戏"，1930年以后又发展成为全部由女演员演出的"女子绍兴文戏"。1938年改称越剧。以后在发展中进一步走向成熟，形成优美抒情的艺术风格。












二、历史

越剧是从说唱形式的唱书衍化而来的。大约在1852年，即清咸丰二年，嵊县马塘村的贫苦农民金其炳在民歌小调的基础上，创造出一种新的曲调，唱眼前景物、当地新闻和简单故事，吸引了不少人向他学唱。由于每句唱的后面都带有"四工合上尺"的衬字拖腔，所以称作[四工合调]。起初唱书是农民劳动之余的自娱自乐，故称田头唱书，后发展成农闲时讨年糕、粽子的谋生补充手段，称沿门唱书；再后来出现半农半艺、带有职业性的落地唱书和走台书，唱腔也吸收湖州[三跳]演变成[呤哦调]，唱书内容也不断丰富，出现根据民间故事和弹词等改编的长篇书目。

1906年春节期间，唱书艺人在浙江余杭进行了分角色演出的初次尝试，清明节时在嵊县东王村用稻桶、门板搭成的草台上正式以戏曲形式演出，从此诞生了一个新的剧种。为与绍兴地区流行的绍兴大班相区别，称之为"小歌文书班"，简称"小歌班"；因为十分简陋，乐器只有尺板、笃鼓，也称"的笃班"。艺人基本上都是半农半艺的男性农民，故俗称男班。所用曲调沿用唱书时的[呤哦调]，以人声帮腔，无丝弦伴奏，剧目多民间小戏。"越剧"这个名称，首次出现在1925年9月17日上海《申报》演出广告中。

小歌班诞生后，从嵊县向邻近的绍兴、宁波一带流布。1910年进入省城杭州。1917年5月13日，初次进入上海，在十六铺"新化园"演出，因粗糙简陋，观众寥寥，不足一月即结束。以后又有三班小歌班艺人来上海，在几经失败之后，艺人们注意学习绍兴大班和京剧的表演技巧，艺术上有所提高。从1920年起，小歌班集中了几乎所有较知名的演员，编演了一些有自己特色、引人入胜的新剧目，如把梁山伯与祝英台的故事编为连台本戏，又如编演了《孟丽君》，重新改编移植自东阳班（婺剧）的《碧玉簪》。这些剧目，正适应了五四运动后争取女权和男女平等思潮的兴起，因而受到广大观众欢迎。

为了适应城市环境并在竞争中生存，迫切需要变革，改变剧种过于简陋的状况，提高艺术水平。1921年在上海升平歌舞台组成越剧史上第一支专业乐队，用丝弦演奏取代人声帮腔接调，因板胡定弦为1-5两音，在工尺谱上是"正"、"宫"，故称[正宫调]，简称"正调"，从此[丝弦正调]成了男班的主腔，并初步建立起板式变化体的音乐框架。1921年9月到1922年，男班艺人相继将剧种改称绍兴文戏，向古装大戏方面发展。他们吸收京剧、绍剧的表演程式、锣鼓经，剧目则受当时盛行的"海派京剧"影响，主要编演连台本戏。

这一时期他们的演出场所主要是大世界、新世界等游乐场，以及茶楼、旅社、小型剧场。经过艰苦努力，男班不仅在上海扎下根来，而且艺术上逐渐提高，涌现了一批著名演员，其中有小生王永春、张云标、支维永，小旦卫梅朵、费翠棠、白玉梅、金雪芳，老生马潮水、童正初，小丑马阿顺、谢志云，大面金荣水等。

三、艺术特色

越剧是一个晚出的剧种，它善于博采众长，为我所用。越剧唱腔属板腔体，早期曲调单一，后来吸收其他剧种、曲种音乐，逐渐丰富起来。越剧曲调清悠婉转，优美动听，长于抒情，主要有尺调、四工调、弦下调三大类，其中尺调又分慢板、中板、连板、散板、嚣板、二凡、流水板等。


越剧的脚色行当分为小旦、小生、老生、小丑、老旦、大面六大类，其中小旦又分为悲旦、花旦、闺门旦、花衫、正旦、武旦六种，小生又分为书生、穷生、官生、武生四种，老生又分为正生、老外两种，小丑又分为长衫丑、官丑、短衫丑、女丑四种。越剧早期演出较为简单，后来搬用其他剧种的动作程式，又从生活中提炼出一些基本动作。1942年，在袁雪芬等的倡导下，越剧一方面吸收话剧、电影的表演方法，真实、细致地刻画人物的性格和心理活动，一方面学习昆曲、京剧优美的舞蹈身段和表演程式，使外部动作更细致、更具节奏感。这两方面有机结合，形成了越剧表演写意与写实相结合的独特艺术风格。

越剧有不少为人熟知的优秀剧目，其中较具代表性的有《梁山伯与祝英台》、《红楼梦》、《祥林嫂》、《西厢记》、《追鱼》、《情探》、《盘夫索夫》、《柳毅传书》、《碧玉簪》、《三看御妹》、《打金枝》、《玉堂春》、《琵琶记》、《孔雀东南飞》等。

舞台美术也是越剧中极具特色的一个有机组成部分。从20世纪30年代初起，越剧就开始采用带有中国画特色的立体布景、五彩灯光、音响和油彩化妆，服装样式结合剧情进行设计，在继承传统的基础上借鉴古代仕女画，款式清新自然，色彩、质料柔和淡雅，对传统戏曲服装作了很好的发展。

四、现状

越剧在短短百年内发展成熟起来，成为中华戏曲百花园中的奇葩。新中国成立后，越剧迅速传播到华东、西南、华北、西北、中南、东北等地，并随着对外文化交流的开展，以其典型的东方艺术特征在国际上赢得了一定的赞誉。进入21世纪以后，随着人们精神需求的多元化和文化艺术形式的多样化，越剧的生存发展出现危机。

All things are Medications

万物皆药

　 据说中医业内流传着一个故事：一日，某师对其弟子言：“去采一种不是药的草回来，即可毕业。”弟子领命而去，以为不难。谁知数日后却空手而归，泣对师言：“看来弟子是不能毕业了。”师曰：“何也？”答曰：“遍观草木，虽有不识，但无一非药。故难复师命。”师笑曰：“汝业已成，可去。”

尽管这是一个广泛流传于中医界内的故事，尽管故事的主人公没有任何域外人士的身份特征，但这个故事的源头却是在印度。唐代医家孙思邈所著《千金翼方》中云：“论曰：有天竺大医耆婆云，天下物类皆是灵药；万物之中，无一物而非药者”。虽然我们无法知道孙思邈是从何处了解到所谓“天竺大医耆婆”的这一言论，但却可在《闍罗迦集》中见到如下论述：“如果知道世间任何一种品物都具有一定的‘理’（ynkti）与‘目的’（artha），则可以说没有不是药物的东西”（第1卷,第26章）；又说：“任何一物没有不是药物者”（第1卷,第27章）。

由于藏医与印度医学间所具有的密切联系,所以这种观点亦在藏医中流传，并且已经成为故事：

“有一天，老师要学生们去附近的山里拿回一些没有药用价值的东西。除了耆婆，学生们返回时都带有一些他们认为没有药用价值的物品。耆婆返回时空着两手，他告诉老师说没有发现任何一件是没有药用价值的。”

值得注意的是，“万物皆药”的观点代表着另一种药物学理论，甚至可以说是另一种哲学思维模式。中国自古就有“神农尝百草，一日而遇七十毒”以识药物的传说（需要说明的是，《淮南子》言此之意在于解释食物鉴别知识的起源，而非指医药，即神农之所以称“农”的原因。其后才逐渐被解释成“识药”。）。现代医史著作在解释药物知识的形成途径时，基本上也都是沿袭这一模式。即“氏族成员由长时期采集逐渐转化为种植的过程中，对植物的咀咽尝试已多，积累了一些用植物治病的经验” ；“在此过程中，他们曾发生过不少的中毒遭遇，但从中也积累了不少药物知识” ；“由于饥不择食，人们经常误食某些有毒的植物，因而发生呕吐、腹泻、昏迷甚至死亡等情况。经过无数次的尝试，人们逐渐认识某些植物对人体有益，某些植物对人体有害，某些植物可以治病。这样便初步积累了一些关于植物药的知识。” 这种改造“神农尝百草”而成的“中毒识药说”阐明了知识来源的一个重要方面——经验。同时研究者又指出，类比与联想的思维方式（即被巫术研究者称为“相似律”与“接触律”的思维规律）亦是言说药物功效的重要途径。

例如，在古代文献《山海经》中记载：昆仑之丘的沙棠，身体轻浮，故可以御水，食之可以不溺；蘨草是上帝女儿化身，故食之即可为人所爱，服之媚于人；蓇蓉“黑华而不实”，故食之使人无子等等。这些线索可以使我们了解到，除实践经验外，类比方式可谓古代建立药效之说的最重要途径之一。比较而言，印度古代的哲学与逻辑学均更为发达，以至有人评价说：“其国君民上下，几以研穷哲理为人生唯一事业。” 他们更习惯于将一种“终极真理”演绎到所有的具体事物。因而在印度医学中，佩带的宝石、花环，手持的伞、杖等等，皆是药物——关系到人体的健康、具有治疗作用。

Physic both Ideology

医者意也

　　中国古代医学著作中，时常可以见到“医者意也”之说。对于造化之理的领悟、治疗方法的灵活运用，都只能靠“意”来实现。

近代硕学梁启超曾说：“中国凡百学问都带有一种‘可以意会不可以言传’的神秘性，最足为智识扩大之障碍。”而其所举之例，即是“医学”（《饮冰室合集》第14册：“科学精神与东西文化”。中华书局，1941）。的确，中国传统医学较之于任何一种其他古代精密科学（如天文、算学）或实用技艺，都更具有传统文化的特征。或毋宁说，只有传统医学才能够体现传统文化“可以意会，难于言传”的韵味。


就医学书籍而言，这个“意”字的含义也有所不同，除“专心”、“悟性”之外，有时是指“类比”方法，而有时是指类似艺术创造的“直觉”与“灵气”。这就使得社会普遍是以西方科学的目光与标准来审视、衡量、评价、要求、改造这唯一具有生命力的传统科学时，产生了许多与现代科学格格不入的问题与质疑。

The Main Text of the Great Learning

The Way of the great learning involves manifesting virtue, renovating the people, and abiding by the highest good.

大學之道在明明德，在親民，在止於至善

The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the world, first ordered well their own States.

古之欲明明德於天下者，先治其國

Wishing to order well their States, they first regulated their families.

欲治其國者，先齊其家

Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons.

欲齊其家者，先修其身

Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts.

欲修其身者，先正其心

Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts.

欲正其心者，先誠其意

Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost of their knowledge.

欲誠其意者，先致其知

Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.

致知在格物

Things being investigated, knowledge became complete.

物格而後知至

Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere.

知至而後意誠

Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified.

意誠而後心正

Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated.

心正而後身修

Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated.

身修而後家齊

Their families being regulated, their States were rightly governed.

家齊而後國治

Their States being rightly governed, the entire world was at peace.

國治而後天下平

From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides. (...)

自天子以至於庶人，壹是皆以修身為本 (...)


The Great Learning is significant because it expresses many themes of Chinese philosophy and political thinking, and has therefore been extremely influential both in classical and modern Chinese thought.

Government, self cultivation and investigation of things are linked. It links together individual action in the form of self-cultivation with higher goals such as ultimate world peace as well as linking together the spiritual and the material. By defining the path of learning (tao) in governmental and social terms, the Great Learning both links the spiritual with the practical, and creates a vision of tao that is radically different than that presented by Taoism. In particular, the Great Learning sets Confucianism as being this-worldly rather than other-worldly. Instead of basing its authority on an external deity, the Great Learning bases its authority on the practices of ancient kings.

The text also sets up a number of controversies that have underlain Chinese philosophy and political thinking. For example, one major controversy has been to define exactly the investigation of things. What things are to be investigated and how has been one of the crucial issues of Chinese philosophy.

Western beauty dress in Chinese-style

《Bencao gangmu shiyi》by Zhao Xue Min（1765）

赵学敏(约1719-1805) 字恕轩，号依吉，浙江钱塘(今杭州)人。其父曾任永春司马，迁龙溪知县。乾隆间(1736-1795)下沙大疫，其父延医合药，赖以生者数万人。学敏与弟学楷，皆承父命读儒学医。学敏博览群书，凡家藏星历、医术、药学之书，无不潜心研究，每有所得，即汇钞成帙，积稿数千卷。家有“养素园”，为试验种药之地，以察形性：有“利济堂”，是诊病疗疾之所，兄弟寝食其间，治疗多效。族人赵柏云为走方医，出所用有效方授之，学敏又合平生所录奇方，著成《串雅内编》、《串雅外编》(1759撰)各四卷，其一千众条方或法。乾隆三十(1765年)，又成《本草纲目拾遗》，补阙拾遗，为一代名著。赵氏另有著作多种，惜乎仅成以上二书。

《本草纲目拾遗》（公元1765年，清乾隆30年）是赵学敏编著。

本书是在《本草纲目》刊行100余年之后编著的。其目的是拾《本草纲目》之遗。全书共10卷，载药921种，其中《本草纲目》未收载的有716种，绝大部分是民间药，如冬虫夏草、鸦胆子、太子参等，还有一些外来药品，如金鸡纳（奎林）、日精油、香草、臭草等。本书除拾《本草纲目》之遗以外，并对《纲目》所载药物备而不详的，加以补充，错误处给予订正。本书体例与《纲目》类似，除未列人部外，另加藤、花两类，并把“金石”部分为两部。

本书是继李时珍《本草纲目》后，对药学的再一次总结。

《本草纲目拾遗》-内容

《本草纲目拾遗》成书于乾隆三十年（1765年），又经过卅多年的增订工作，使之更完备。初刊于同治三年（1864年）。《本草纲目拾遗》实际是李时珍《本草纲目》的续篇。全书十卷，按水、火、土、金、石、草、木、藤、花、果、谷、蔬、器用、禽、兽、鳞、介、虫分类，引经据典（涉及的文献多达六百余种，）对《本草纲目》的药物加以补充和订正，增录了药物七百一十六种，吸收了不少民间药物(约有五百一十一种)和外来药物（部分取自传教士石振铎译著的《本草补》），内容十分丰富，为中医药学增添了大量的用药新素材。还在书首列“正误”一篇，纠正《本草纲目》中的误记和疏漏达数十条。它对研究《本草纲目》和明代以来药物学的发展，是一部十分重要的参考书。它是清代最重要的本草著作，一直受到海内外学者的重视。

十卷，依据《本草纲目》的体例分为水、火、土、金、石、草、木、藤、花、果、谷、蔬、器用、禽、鳞介、虫等部，删去了人部、而增加了藤部、花部。共收载药品921种，其中纲目未记载过的有716种。可以说本书所载药物绝大部分是纲目未收录的民间药，或已见于当时其它医书上应用的品种，同时也包括一些进口药，如金鸡勒（即金鸡纳皮），东洋参、西洋参、鸦片烟、日精油、香草、臭草、烟草等。此书不仅丰富了纲目之遗，而且对纲目中已载品种，对其中治疗未备或根实未详者，也详加补充。在卷首列正误34条，对《本草纲目》中的欠妥和错误之处加以订正。如《本草纲目》中说，粉锡（铅粉）辛寒无毒，赵学敏则指出有妇人"服铅粉致死，手足皆黯。"说明铅粉有毒，纠正了这一错误。而且赵学敏对于《本草纲目》中分类不恰当的都加以订正。赵学敏编写《本草纲目拾遗》所引据的医药书达282家，引据的经史百家书目也达343家，包括当时罕见的钞本和珍秘本。如汪连仕的《采药书》，李草秘《海药秘录》、《百草镜》，王安卿《采药志》等。

Yummy nosh in Taiwan

Yummy nosh in Taiwan

Sichuan - Cuisine (Chinese Local Dish)

Sichuan - Cuisine (Chinese Local Dish)

Traditional Herbalism food: Pear in the Waking of Insects

《月令七十二候集解》中说：“二月节，万物出乎震，震为雷，故曰惊蛰”。表示农历二月，春雷开始震响，大地回春，气候变暖，蛰伏在泥土里的各种昆虫将苏醒过来开始活动，所以就把这个节气叫惊蛰。《素问》中将惊蛰分为三候，每一候为五天，“一候桃始华；二候仓庚鸣；三候鹰化为鸠。”描述的是桃花红、李花白，黄莺鸣叫燕飞来的景象，标志着我国大部分地区都将进入春耕时期。

　　传统医学认为，春属木，入味为酸，对应五脏为肝，顺应自然界生长生发之规律，春季容易肝风、肝火妄动，易引起心脑血管病及高血压病。春季养生调肝要通过润肺健脾的方法。


　　中国民间素有“惊蛰吃梨”的习俗。梨者性寒、味甘，入肺、胃经，有清热养阴，利咽生津，润肺止咳化痰的功效。


　　惊蛰时天气乍暖还寒，气候仍然比较干燥，很容易使人口干舌燥、咽痛音哑，由于一些细菌开始活动繁殖，就容易患呼吸道疾病，表现为咳嗽咳痰，梨既可以生津润肺，又可以止咳化痰，且含丰富的果酸、铁质、维生素A、维生素C等，特别适合这一季节食用。但因其性质寒凉，不宜一次食用过多，否则反伤脾胃，对于脾胃虚寒或者血糖偏高的人，则不宜食用生梨。

Maintain healthy on herbalism food《食疗本草》

《食疗本草》为唐·孟诜(612—713) 所撰。汝州染(今河南临汝)人。该书是在《千金要方》中“食治篇增订而成的记述可供食用、又能疗病的本草专著。书目见《旧唐书·艺文志》。近人范行准认为原书是孟诜《补养方》,后经张鼎增补而易此名。















此书是唐代食物药治病专书。原书早佚，仅有残卷及佚文散见于《医心方》、《证类本草》等书中,各本所存佚文出入很大。1907年敦煌出土该书残卷,存药26味。



全书共3卷。原书有条目138条，据《嘉佑本草》记载：“张鼎（唐开元间人）又补其不足者八十九种，并归为二百二十七条。皆说食药治病之效。”书中除收有许多卓有疗效的药物和单方外，还记载了某些药物禁忌。所载食疗方下均注明药性，其次分记功效、禁忌，其间或夹有形态、产地等。另有动物脏器的食疗方法和藻菌类食品的医疗应用，产妇、小儿等饮食宜忌等记述。该书是我国现存最早的食疗专著，也是世界上现存最早的食疗专著，后世多有引用，是一部研究食疗和营养学的重要文献。


从现有残存佚文看,有不少条为《唐本草》失载的药物。如荞麦、绿豆、菠菜、白苣、胡荽、鲈鱼、鳜鱼、石首鱼等,都是本书首次记载。所录波斯石蜜、高昌榆白皮等,能反映亚洲中部地区使用食疗药的情况。


《食疗本草》对研究本草文献及饮食疗法发展史,有重要参考价值。


清光绪三十三年(1907)英国人斯坦因在敦煌莫高窟中发现该书古抄本残卷，收有从石榴至芋共26种药物的条文，现存英国伦敦博物馆。1930年日本中尾万三考察、校定了该书，以《食疗本草考察》为名。全书分两编，载药241种，是近代最早的一种辑本。兹后谢海洲等重新考求了《食疗本草》流传的佚文，辑复此书。全书分三卷，共收录260种药物，并归并同类条文，校注疑误，1984年由人民卫生出版社出版。

Li Shizhen 李时珍 & < Bencao Gangmu > 本草纲目

Bencao Gangmu

Bencao Gangmu (traditional Chinese: 本草綱目; simplified Chinese: 本草纲目; pinyin: Běncǎo Gāngmù; Wade-Giles: Pen-ts'ao Kang-mu), also known as Compendium of Materia Medica, is a Chinese materia medica work written by Li Shizhen in Ming Dynasty. It is a work epitomizing materia medica (本草) in Ming Dynasty. The Bencao Gangmu is regarded as the most complete and comprehensive medical book ever written in the history of traditional Chinese medicine. It lists all the plants, animals, minerals, and other objects that were believed to have medicinal properties.










The Bencao Gangmu title, which Unschuld (1986:145) translates as "Materia Medica, Arranged according to Drug Descriptions and Technical Aspects," uses two Chinese compounds. Bencao ("roots and herbs; based on herbs, pharmacopeia, materia medica") combines ben (本 "root; origin; basis") and cao (草 "grass; plant; herb"). Gangmu ("detailed outline; table of contents") combines gang (綱 "main rope, hawser; main threads, essential principles") and mu (目 "eye; look; category, division").


Li Shizhen completed the first draft of the text in 1578, after conducting readings of 800 other medical reference books and carrying out 30 years of field study. For this and many other achievements Li Shizhen is being compared to the Shennong, a mythological God in Chinese myth who taught them about agriculture and herbal medicine.

Shen Nong's Herbal (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing) - TCM Classic Literature

Shen Nong's Herbal (Shen nong ben cao jing) , the earliest extant treatise on Chinese materia medica.

Shen nung pen Ts'ao king (Pinyin: Shén nóng běn cǎo jīng, chin.神农本草经) is a Chinese book on agriculture and medicinal plants. Its origin has been attributed to the mythical Chinese emperor Shen nong, who was said to have lived around 2800 B.C.

It is the oldest known book on agriculture and medicinal plants. In reality, researchers hypothesize that it is a compilation of oral traditions written between about 300 B.C. and 200 A.D.


The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: Reawakening the True Romance of Chinese Herbalism
By Dustin Siena, L.Ac., Dipl.Ac., Dipl.C.H.

......

As one glances through the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, the true beauty and romance of herbalism becomes alive. Herbs are categorized into 3 classes, superior, middle, and inferior class. Almost all of "TCM herbalism" that we are taught in school holds little resemblance to the nomenclature used in this book. It is our responsibility and duty as practitioners to read this book from cover to cover to remind ourselves of the magic that tonic herbs embody.

......

Huangdi‘s Canon of Medicine - Classic Literature of TCM

Huangdi Neijing

Also known as The Inner Canon of Huangdi or Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, is an ancient Chinese medical text that has been treated as the fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia and until today.






It is comparable in importance to the Hippocratic Corpus in Greek medicine or the works of Galen in Islamic and medieval European medicine. The work is composed of two texts each of eighty-one chapters or treatises in a question-and-answer format between the mythical Huangdi (Yellow Emperor or more correctly Yellow Thearch) and six of his equally legendary ministers.








The first text, the Suwen (素問), also known as Basic Questions, covers the theoretical foundation of Chinese Medicine and its diagnostic methods. The second and generally less referred-to text, the Lingshu (靈樞) [Spiritual Pivot], discusses acupuncture therapy in great detail.


Collectively, these two texts are known as the Neijing or Huangdi Neijing. In practice, however, the title Neijing often refers only to the more influential Suwen. Two other texts also carried the prefix Huangdi neijing in their titles: the Mingtang 明堂 ["Hall of Light"] and the Taisu 太素 ["Grand Basis"], both of which have survived only partially.