Classic Texts
Guided readings of foundational TCM classics.
46 articles · Page 1 of 5
Pinned Bencao Gangmu: Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica
Discover the Bencao Gangmu (本草纲目), Li Shizhen's monumental 16th-century encyclopedia of Chinese herbal medicine. Learn about its structure, historical significance, and lasting influence on global medicine.
Pinned Shanghan Lun: Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Cold Damage
Explore the Shanghan Lun (伤寒论), one of the most influential medical texts in history. Learn about its six-channel diagnostic system, legendary formulas, and enduring clinical relevance today.
Pinned Huangdi Neijing: The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon — Foundation of Chinese Medicine
Explore the Huangdi Neijing (黄帝内经), the oldest and most influential medical text in Chinese history. Understand its structure, core philosophies, and enduring impact on Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Jingui Yaolue (金匮要略): The Classic That Founded TCM's Treatment of Internal Diseases
The Jingui Yaolue (金匮要略, Essentials from the Golden Cabinet) is Zhang Zhongjing's companion to the Shanghan Lun, dedicated to internal and miscellaneous diseases. Learn its structure, its enduring formulas, and its role in establishing pattern-based herbal medicine.
The Nan Jing (难经): The Classic of Difficult Issues That Sharpened Chinese Medicine
The Nan Jing (难经, Classic of Difficult Issues) is a foundational TCM text traditionally attributed to Bian Que. Learn how its 81 questions reshaped pulse diagnosis, the life-gate, the five-element cycle, and needling technique.
Bencao Beiyao (《本草备要》): Wang Ang's Concise Materia Medica That Taught a Generation of Doctors
Bencao Beiyao ('Essential Readings of the Materia Medica'), written by the Qing-dynasty scholar Wang Ang in 1694, became one of the most widely read herb books in Chinese medical history. Its genius was brevity — distilling each herb to its essentials in a format beginners could actually memorize.
Tang Ye Ben Cao (汤液本草): The Classic of Decoction and Materia Medica by Wang Haogu
Discover Tang Ye Ben Cao, the Yuan Dynasty classic by Wang Haogu that systematically connected herbal properties to formula practice and Zhang Yuansu's归经 (meridian affinity) theory, creating a bridge between single herbs and clinical prescriptions.
Yi Fang Ji Jie (医方集解): The Encyclopedia of Formula Explanation That Taught Generations of Physicians
Explore Yi Fang Ji Jie (Collection of Formula Explanations) by Wang Ang — the Qing Dynasty text that organized over 800 TCM formulas into a rational, category-based system and became the most widely used formula textbook in Chinese medical history.
Zhen Jiu Da Cheng (针灸大成): The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Learn about Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, the most influential acupuncture-moxibustion text ever written. Compiled by Yang Jizhou in 1601 CE during the Ming dynasty, this monumental work synthesized centuries of acupuncture knowledge and remains the clinical backbone of modern acupuncture practice.
Wai Tai Mi Yao: The Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library
Explore Wai Tai Mi Yao (外台秘要), the monumental Tang dynasty medical encyclopedia compiled by Wang Tao. Discover its structure, contributions to febrile diseases, smallpox documentation, and lasting influence on East Asian medicine.