A Glimpse of Chinese Traditional Culture

Chapter2HistoricalFiguresAGlimpseofChineseTraditionalCultureYuanmouManandPekingManThefirstprimitivemanknowntohaveexistedinChinaisYuanmouMan,wholived1.7millionyearsago.PekingMan,whoexistedmorethan400,000yearsago,couldwalkupright,makeandusesimpletools,andmakeuseoffire.TheAncientPeriodWhyarewecalled“thedescendantsofYanandHuang(炎黄子孙)”?Chinesehistorybeganwithtwolegendaryfigures—EmperorHuangandEmperorYan,who,togetherwiththeirtribes,inhabitedthedrainageareaalongthemiddlereachesoftheYellowRiver.BythetimeofXiaDynasty,aftercenturiesoflivingsidebyside,thesetwotribeshadgraduallymergedintoone.Consequently,theChinesepeopleusuallythemselves“thedescendantsofYanandHuang”.YuconqueringthefloodYuinspiredpeopletodigditchestodivertwaterinsteadofbuildingdams.Heworkedceaselesslyfor13yearsandsucceededincontrollingthefloods.TheFirstEmperorofQinHeunifiedtheLanguage,themeasurementsystemandthecurrency,setuptheprefecturesandcountiessystem,constructedthefamousGreatWallandbuiltextravagantpalacesandmausoleums.PrintingPrinting,knownas“motherofcivilization”,wasagreatinventionoftheChinesepeople.Ithasalonghistoryandincludesblockprinting(雕版印刷)andmovabletypeprinting(活字印刷).BlockPrintingwasprobablyinventedbetweentheSuiandTangdynasties.Theprocessofblockprintingstartedwiththecuttingofwoodintoblocks,andthencharacterswereengravedinrelief(凸起)ontheblocks.Inkwasbrushedontheengravedblockandawhitesheetofpaperwasspreadacrossitandthenbrushedwithacleanbrushonitsbackleavinganimagewhenthepaperwasremoved.Theworld’soldestsurvivingbookprintedonpaperisVajraSutra(《金刚经》).Itistheearliestwoodcutillustrationinaprintedbook.BiSheng:FounderofMovableTypePrintingMovableTypePrintinginvolvedengravingsinglewordsintopiecesofclay,firingthemuntilhardenedandusingthemaspermanenttype.Thetypewasthensetintoprintingplates.TraditionalChineseMedicine（TCM）TraditionalChinesepainting,BeijingOpera,andtraditionalChinesemedicineareknownthroughouttheworldasthethreetreasuresofChina.TraditionalChinesemedicineisverydifferentfromWesternMedicineinitsmeansofdiagnosis,treatmentanditscompositionofdrugsandprescriptions.Chinesepractitionersoftraditionalmedicinetakeaholisticapproachtodiagnosis.Theyconsiderthewholebodyofthepatient:his/herdiet,age,habits,emotions,life-styleandlivingenvironment.Theypayparticularattentiontothecausesofthesicknessratherthanthesymptoms.Observing,smelling,inquiring,andfeelingthepulse(望、闻、问、切)arefourdiagnostic(诊断的)methodsintraditionalChinesemedicine.Therewerealargenumberofgreatmenofmedicalscienceandmateriamedica(草药学)inancientChina.Howmanydoyouknow?BianQue(扁鹊),oftheSpringandAutumnandtheWarringStatesPeriod,specializedintreatingdiseasesofwomenandchildrenandthefivesenseorgans.Heinventedthefourdiagnosticmethods.HuaTuo(华佗),oftheEasternHanDynasty,specializedinmedicine(内科),surgery(外科),gynecology(妇科)andpediatrics(儿科).HeinventedageneralanestheticMafeisan(麻醉剂“麻沸散”)andasystemoftherapeutical(医疗的)exercisescalled“theFive-animalexercises”(五禽戏).ZhangZhongjing(张仲景),oftheEasternHanDynasty,wastheauthorofafamousmedicalworkscalledTreatiseonFebrileandMiscellaneousDisease《伤寒杂病论》.Theworksconsistsofover300prescriptionsand200medicines.LiShizhen(李时珍)oftheMingDynasty,whosemonumentalmasterpiece,CompendiumofMeteriaMedica(本草纲目),includes1,892medicinalsubstances,11,096prescriptions,and1,162illustrations.Discussion(10minutes)ChinesetraditionalmedicineandWesternmedicine,whichdoyouprefer?