Design Description

During the Qin and Han Dynasties, Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), Nanjing (The Classic of Difficult Issues), and Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica) laid the theoretical foundation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) is structured as dialogues between Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor) and Qibo. In particular, its Suwen (Plain Questions) proposes that yin and yang are the fundamental laws of heaven and earth; health arises from “balance between yin and yang”, whilst imbalance leads to disease, and diagnosis and treatment must “first differentiate yin and yang”. It uses the five elements to elucidate the generating and restraining relationships among the zang-fu organs (viscera and bowels), establishing the zang-xiang (visceral manifestation) and pattern identification systems. Lingshu (Spiritual Pivot) details the circulation of the twelve meridians, connecting internally to the zang-fu organs and externally to the limbs, laying the foundation for acupuncture and moxibustion therapy.

Nanjing (The Classic of Difficult Issues) is traditionally attributed to Bian Que and supplements what the Neijing (Inner Canon) left unaddressed. It introduces the concept of the “eight extraordinary meridians” and pioneers the pulse-taking method of “independent selection of the cunkou (inch-opening)” for pulse diagnosis, establishing standardised pulse-taking positions. Its theory of “the left is the kidney, the right is mingmen (gate of life)” emphasises the functions of the kidney and gate of life, deepening zang-fu theory.

Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica), the earliest extant work on materia medica, records 365 medicinal substances and pioneers the three-tier classification of superior, middle and inferior grades, establishing hierarchical levels for medicinal application and toxicity grading. It documents the four qi (cold, hot, warmth, and coolness) and five flavours (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty) of medicinals, elucidating their therapeutic principles of harmonising yin and yang and acting upon the zang-fu organs.

Together, these three works form the theoretical system of TCM, encompassing principles, methods, formulae, and materia medica.