Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Collected Annotations

Author: (Qing) Zhang Zhicong, Collected Annotations by Fang Chunyang et al., Proofread by Fang Chunyang et al.
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2002-12-01
Features: The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon is not only a classic of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) but also a cultural treasure of the Chinese nation. Due to its rich cultural connotations, it is far from sufficient to entrust its exploration solely to the TCM community. The masters of Qing Dynasty's classical studies recognized this, and thus they initiated research on the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, such as Hu Shu's Annotations on the Suwen of the Inner Canon and Sun Yirang's Collected Annotations on the Suwen by Wang Bing (see Collected Notes, Volume 6). These are examples of their research achievements. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon consists of nine volumes, each containing eighty-one chapters, and was compiled before the Western Han Dynasty. Its ancient and obscure language has long been considered difficult to read. To access this treasure trove, an excellent annotation is undoubtedly the key. Among the numerous annotated versions of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, Zhang Zhicong's Collected Annotations on the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon stands out. Since its publication, it has been highly regarded, which is the reason we chose it. Zhang Zhicong, styled Yin'an, was a renowned physician during the Shunzhi and Kangxi reigns of the Qing Dynasty, originally from Qiantang, Zhejiang (now Hangzhou). He came from a medical family and was well-versed in the classics from a young age, hoping to achieve scholarly recognition. Unfortunately, he lost his father at a young age, leaving his family without support, and thus he resolved to inherit his father's profession. He extensively studied books, delved deeply into medical principles, and simultaneously served as a disciple of the celebrated Confucian physician Zhang Suichen (Qingzi), mastering all his teachings. During the late Ming Dynasty, the renowned physician Lu Zhiyi established a tradition of teaching and lecturing in Hangzhou, which had a profound impact on the medical community. After completing his studies, Zhang Zhicong sought to promote this fine tradition, building Lushan Hall to gather classmates and disciples for medical instruction, with a particular emphasis on elucidating classical texts and distinguishing right from wrong. "From the Shunzhi era to the early Kangxi era, over forty years, all scholars who studied the Huangdi and Qiji turned to him" (New History of the Qing Dynasty).