Location and Land
In the valleys of two great rivers, the Huang He and the Chang Jiang, Chinese civilization emerged in isolation from other great civilizations. China's geographical barriers enforced its people's isolation: the Pacific Ocean to the east, a desert to the west, and the towering Himalayas to the southwest. The warlike nomads of Mongolia created an effective border to the north.



The Roots of Chinese Medical Practice
China's first doctors were also philosophers. They based their medical theories on traditional Chinese values of harmony, balance, and respect for order. In the Chinese view, for example, the organs of the human body operate in pairs—each organ in a pair harmonizing with the other. When a person was in good health, it was considered an indication that the person's body was in balance; illness indicated that a body was out of balance. Early Chinese doctors stressed preventive medicine to such an extent that they typically received fees only from patients who remained healthy.


The medical treatments used by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine developed thousands of years ago. Archaeological finds indicate that acupuncture was used 5,000 years ago much as it is today—as a way to restore energy flow and balance in the body.

Another ancient Chinese health practice still widely used is a set of prescribed exercises, called qigong. Qigong was developed 2,000 years ago as a way to restore energy flow and heal a wide range of illnesses.

Many of these ancient practices are discussed in "The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine," the oldest textbook on traditional Chinese medicine. One author, known as the Yellow Emperor, received credit for writing the book more than 2,000 years ago. However, it is likely that many authors contributed to this volume, which documents traditions that had already been practiced for generations at the time of its writing.

Credits: Foot being treated by moxibustion © T. J. Florian/Rainbow/PictureQuest.

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