Qianjin Yifang: Sun Simiao's Thousand Golden Formulas — Medicine with a Moral Heart

What is Qianjin Yifang?

Qianjin Yifang (千金翼方), translated as “Thousand Golden Wings Formulas” or “Supplement to the Thousand Golden Essential Formulas,” is a monumental medical text written by the Tang Dynasty physician Sun Simiao (孙思邈, 581–682 CE). Published around 682 CE near the end of his remarkably long life (he lived to approximately 101 years), it serves as the companion and expansion to his earlier work, Qianjin Yaofang (Thousand Golden Essential Formulas).

Together, these two texts represent one of the most important contributions to Chinese medicine. The name “Thousand Golden” reflects Sun Simiao’s belief that a human life is worth a thousand pieces of gold — and that medical knowledge should be preserved and shared accordingly.

Sun Simiao is revered in China as the “King of Medicine” (药王), and his texts are unique for combining rigorous medical knowledge with a profound ethical framework.

Who Was Sun Simiao?

Sun Simiao was no ordinary physician. He was:

• A child prodigy who could recite classical texts by age 7
• A recluse scholar who spent decades studying in the mountains
• A longevity practitioner who lived to approximately 101 in an era when life expectancy was around 30
• A medical ethicist who wrote what is considered the first medical ethics code in Chinese history
• A practical clinician who treated everyone from emperors to commoners

He refused multiple imperial appointments, preferring to treat ordinary people and devote himself to study. His approach to medicine was holistic — combining herbs, acupuncture, diet, exercise (qigong), and ethical living.

The Two Qianjin Texts

Feature	Qianjin Yaofang (Essential)	Qianjin Yifang (Wings/Supplement)
Date	~652 CE	~682 CE
Focus	Comprehensive medical reference	Expansion, corrections, new material
Volumes	30	30
Key additions	Established medical categories	Pharmacology, materia medica, corrections

The “Wings” in the title (翼) means that this text gives “wings” to the earlier work — allowing it to fly higher and cover more ground.

Key Contributions

1. Materia Medica Systematization

Qianjin Yifang contains extensive pharmacological information, organizing herbs by:

• Category — Heat-clearing, damp-draining, Qi-tonifying, etc.
• Region — noting where each herb grows and how geography affects quality
• Preparation — methods for processing herbs to enhance efficacy or reduce toxicity
• Substitution — listing alternative herbs when the primary choice is unavailable

Sun Simiao was one of the first to emphasize that herb quality depends on geography and harvest timing, a principle now confirmed by modern pharmacognosy.

2. Expanded Acupuncture and Moxibustion

The text refined acupuncture practice by:

• Clarifying acupoint locations with improved measurement methods
• Introducing the concept of “Ah Shi” points — tender points that are needled directly based on the patient’s feedback (“Ah! That’s the spot!”)
• Expanding moxibustion indications — Sun Simiao was a strong advocate of moxa for prevention and chronic conditions
• Detailing contraindications for needling at specific times and in specific patients

3. Gynecology and Pediatrics

Sun Simiao gave unprecedented attention to women’s and children’s health:

• Gynecology — menstrual disorders, pregnancy care, postpartum recovery, and infertility
• Pediatrics — childhood diseases, developmental milestones, and specialized treatment approaches for infants
• He argued that women’s and children’s medicine deserved their own specialized sections, not just a brief mention at the end of a general text

4. Emergency Medicine

The text includes treatments for acute emergencies:

• Drowning resuscitation
• Poisoning treatment (including antidotes for specific toxins)
• Wound care and bleeding control
• Treatment of insect and snake bites

5. Nutrition and Diet Therapy

Sun Simiao was a pioneer of food as medicine. His dietary recommendations included:

• Eating according to season
• Moderation in food and drink
• Specific foods for specific conditions
• The principle that diet should be the first line of treatment before herbs

Sun Simiao’s Medical Ethics

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Sun Simiao’s work is his “Da Yi Jing Cheng” (大医精诚) — “On the Absolute Sincerity of Great Physicians,” found in the opening of Qianjin Yaofang and referenced throughout Qianjin Yifang. This text is considered the Chinese equivalent of the Hippocratic Oath.

Key Ethical Principles

1. Treat all patients equally — rich or poor, powerful or humble, friend or enemy, beautiful or ugly
2. Do not discriminate — treat people of all races, social classes, and backgrounds with the same care
3. Preserve life above all — do not use knowledge to harm
4. Maintain professional conduct — do not boast, do not gossip about patients, do not take advantage of vulnerability
5. Be humble about knowledge — continue learning, respect other physicians, acknowledge uncertainty
6. Focus on the patient’s suffering, not your own reputation

These principles, written over 1,300 years ago, remain remarkably relevant to modern medical ethics.

Influence on Later Medicine

Area	Influence
Medical ethics	Da Yi Jing Cheng became the standard for physician conduct in China
Pharmacology	His herb organization influenced all later materia medica texts
Gynecology	Established gynecology as a distinct medical specialty
Preventive medicine	Advocated for health maintenance before disease appears
Diet therapy	Pioneered systematic food-medicine connections
Japanese medicine	Both Qianjin texts were studied extensively in Japan
Korean medicine	Influenced the development of Korean traditional medicine

Why Qianjin Yifang Matters Today

Sun Simiao’s work stands at the intersection of medical science and medical ethics. In an era where medicine can be both highly profitable and highly technical, his insistence that a physician’s primary duty is to the patient — and that a human life is worth a thousand pieces of gold — is a powerful reminder of what medicine is fundamentally about.

His practical contributions — from Ah Shi points to dietary therapy to gynecological specialization — remain embedded in TCM practice today. But his ethical framework is arguably his most enduring legacy, reminding practitioners that knowledge without compassion is incomplete.

Related Reading

• Huangdi Neijing
• Shennong Bencao Jing
• TCM Preventive Medicine
• TCM Dietary Therapy