Ep. 300 | The History of Chinese Alchemy (Part 2)

For this Milestone Episode in CHP history, we finish off our overview of the history of Chinese alchemy. Top billing this time will be the biggest name in the industry, Ge Hong. Other notable alchemists and alchemical works will be introduced up to the Ming, followed by a Lightning Round of emperors who died by alchemical poisoning.

Thanks to all of you who have supported me these past three hundred episodes and to all of you who discovered me only recently....永远感谢.

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Terms in Episode

Pinyin/TermChineseEnglish/Meaning
Zōu Yǎn邹衍305-240 BC, Chinese philosopher and spiritual writer best known as the representative thinker of the Yin and Yang School of philosophy
Yīn Yáng阴阳Yin is the feminine of negative principle in nature, the moon, shade, dull, gloomy. Yang is the masculine or positive principle in nature, the sun, positive, male
Liú Xiàng刘向77-6 BC, Western Han era polymath, astronomer, historian, poet, politician, librarian, and writer. Well known for his bibliographic work in cataloging and editing the Han imperial library.
Hàn Emperor Xuān汉宣帝Emperor Xuan of Han, reigned 74 to 48 BC
Dàozàng道藏The Daoist Canon containing all the most important works of Daoism. Compiled first in 400 AD, then again in the Táng in 748. And again in 1016 during the Sòng and once more during the Míng in 1444
Tàiqīng太清Great Clarity sect of Daoism
Tàiqīngjīng太清经The Book of Great Clarity
Jiǔdānjīng九丹经The Book of the Nine Elixirs
Jīnyèjīng金液经The Book of the Golden Liquor
Ānhuī安徽Province in China
Jiāngsū江苏Coastal province in China north of Zhejiang
Jiāngnán江南The region in China mostly south of the Yangzi River, including Jiangsu, Zhejiang and JIangxi
Lǐ Shǎojūn李少君Lived during reign of Han Wudi, (133 BCE) was a fangshi and the earliest known Chinese alchemist. In the early history of Chinese waidan (External Alchemy),Li is the only fangshi whose role is documented by both historical (for instance, Shiji) and alchemical (Baopuzi) sources.
Hàn Wǔdì汉武帝Western Han dynasty emperor who reigned 141 to 87 BC
Cāntóng Qì参同契the oldest complete alchemical book in existence, also called the Zhōuyì Cāntóng Qì (周易参同契)
Wèi Bóyáng魏伯阳A notable semi-legendary Chinese writer and alchemist of the Eastern Han Dynasty as well as the reputed author of The Kinship of the Three, and is noted as the first person to have documented the chemical composition of gunpowder in 142 AD. The "Cantong Qi" was probably written in stages from the Han dynasty onward until it approached its current form before 450 AD.
Gě Hóng葛洪283-364(?) Chinese linguist, philosopher, physician, politician and alchemist. Writer of The Baopuzi
Jùróng句容a city midway between Nanjing and Zhènjiāng
Gě Xuán葛玄paternal grand uncle of Ge Hong. Ge Xuan was a legendary Daoist and alchemist, living 164-244
Zuǒ Cí左慈In Romance of the Three Kingsoms, he was the character Wūjiǎo Xiānshēng…Master Black Horn. Zuǒ Cí was a Daoist master without peer who had these amazing magical powers
Hàn Zhāodì汉昭帝Son of Han Wudi, reigned 87-74 BC
Bàopǔzǐ抱朴子The "Hao" name of Ge Hong. His most famous alchemical work bears this title
Shénxiān Zhuàn神仙传a collection of biographies, attributed to Ge Hong, on eighty-four Daoist gods and immortals
hàoOne’s hào is a moniker that is picked up along the way and was used as a form of address by one’s professional or artistic colleagues….rather than the personal name one was born with
Táng Dynasty唐朝Chinese dynasty that ran 618 to 907 AD with an interregnum for Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty that ran 690-705\
Lǐ Bái李白Great Tang Dynasty poet, considered one of China's greatest
Guǎngzhōu广州Capital of Guangdong province
Gělǐngshān葛岭山A hill overlooking West Lake in Hangzhou where Gě Hóng once resided and where he conducted a number of his experiments
Shàngqīng“Highest Purity” tradition of Daoism
Lady Wèi Huácún魏华存She was a contemporary of Gě Hóng and lived during the Jìn Dynasty. According to legend she was a very devout and serious believer in Daoism. And one day she received a number of scriptures handed to her by certain Daoist immortals. And these words gifted to Lady Wèi, ended up forming the bedrock of the Shàngqīng sect of Daoism…and it was based in Máoshān 茅山…Mount Máo…not that far from where Gě Hóng grew up
Huáng Tíng Jīng黄庭经The Yellow Court Classic is attributed to Lady Wei and offered adherents a kind of a guidebook on Daoist meditation practices that did much to increase the health and longevity of the practitioner. More than anything else it emphasized meditation and self-cultivation and demonstrated how to achieve this
wàidān外丹External Alchemy, mainly concerned with producing elixirs and prolonging life through the ingestion of alchemical substabces
Nèidān内丹Nèi means inner….so it relied more on one’s internal powers that resided in humans to attain the powers that up to then, had been attempted through external alchemy
Táo Hóngjǐng陶弘景456-536, another figure from China history who, in their day achieved so much renown across such a broad spectrum of the humanities, sciences, arts. He's called a founder of the Shàngqīng sect of Daois
Xuánzàng玄奘602-664, 7th century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, translator. Most famous for his travels to India 629-645.
Liáng Wǔdì梁武帝Founding emperor of the Liang Dynasty. He reigned 502-549.
Suí Dynasty隋朝Dynasty that ran 581-618
Sū Yuánmíngwrote about potable medicinal gold in his noted work, “Discourse on the Contents of the Precious Treasury of the Earth” which contained fifteen kinds of medicinal gold that treated a number of maladies
Sūn Sīmiǎo孙思邈Immortalized as the King of Medicine for his contributions to the science. Wrote several important works. Died 682
Yàowáng药王The King of Medicine, a nickname of Sun Simiao
Dānjīngyào丹经药Essential Formulas of Alchemical Classics, a work compiled by Sun Simiao
Qín Shǐhuáng秦始皇259-210 BC, the first Chinese emperor, ruler of the Qin Dynasty
Chén Shǎowēi陈少微Another Tang alchemist who focused his Wàidān efforts on the yin-yang aspects of refining cinnabar and creating an elixir from mercury
Xiànzōng唐宪宗Tang Emperor whjo reigned 805-820
Mùzōng唐穆宗Tang Emperor whjo reigned 820-824
Zhū Wén朱文Reigned as the founding emperor of the Later Liang Dynasty (907-912). A Chinese military general and politician, he officially put the Tang dynasty to the sword in 907
Zhū Yǒuguī朱友珪Son of Zhu Wen ajnd emperor of Later Liang from 912-913
Sòng Dynasty宋朝Dynasty that lasted 960-1279
Zhēnzōng Emperor宋真宗Northern Song emperor who reigned 997-1022
Wáng Jiè王玠Song-era Daoist scholar and alchemist Wáng Jiè 王玠. Emperor Zhenzong instructed Wáng Jiè to engage in the manufacture of alchemical gold
Jiājìng EmperorMing Dynasty emperor who reigned 1521-1567
Lǐ Shízhěn李时珍1518-1593, compiler of the Compendium of Materia Medica
Běncǎo Gāngmù本草纲目the Compendium of Materia Medica, compiled by Li Shizhen during the Ming
Yōngzhèng雍正Qing Emperor from 1709-1722
Qiánlóng乾隆Successor to Yongzheng, reigned 1735-1796

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Ep. 299 | The History of Chinese Alchemy (Part 1)