Hong (rainbow-dragon)

Hong or jiang is a two-headed dragon in Chinese mythology, comparable with rainbow serpent legends in various cultures and mythologies.

Jiuhuang Bencao

The (1406) Jiuhuang bencao, written by the Ming dynasty prince Zhu Su (朱橚), was the first illustrated botanical manual for famine foods—wild food plants suitable for survival during times of famine

Pu (Taoism)

Pu is a Chinese word meaning "unworked wood; inherent quality; simple" that was an early Daoist metaphor for the natural state of humanity, and relates with the Daoist keyword ziran "natural; spontaneous". The scholar Ge Hong immortalized pu in his pen

Chi (mythology)

Chi means either "a hornless dragon" or "a mountain demon" in Chinese mythology. Hornless dragons were a common motif in ancient Chinese art, and the chiwen 螭吻 was an imperial roof decoration in traditional Chinese architecture

Traditional Chinese medicines derived from the human body

Li Shizhen's (1597) Bencao gangmu, the classic materia medica of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), included 35 human drugs, including organs, bodily fluids, and excreta. Crude drugs derived from the human body were commonplace in the early history of

Baopuzi

The Baopuzi, written by the Jin dynasty scholar Ge Hong 葛洪 in 283–343, is divided into esoteric Neipian 內篇 "Inner Chapters" and equally exoteric Waipian 外篇 "Outer Chapters". The Taoist Inner Chapters discuss topics such as techniques to

Zhenren

Zhenren is a Chinese term that first appeared in the Zhuangzi meaning "Daoist spiritual master", roughly translatable as "Perfected Person". Religious Daoism mythologized zhenren to rank above xian "transcendent; immortal" in the celestial hierarchy

Longma

The longma is a fabled winged horse with dragon scales in Chinese mythology. Seeing a longma was an omen of a legendary sage-ruler, particularly one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors

Yubu

Yubu, translated as Pace(s) of Yu or Step(s) of Yu, is the basic mystic dance step of religious Daoism. This ancient walking or dancing technique typically involves dragging one foot after another, and is explained in reference to the legendary Yu the

Feilong

Feilong is a legendary creature that flies among clouds in Chinese mythology. Feilong is a proper name, and is often used as a title for other ideas and objects

Way of the Li Family

Lijia Dao was one of the oldest schools of religious Daoism and was popular throughout South China during the Six Dynasties (220-589). Since several Way of the Li Family practices resembled those of the Way of the Celestial Masters, such as healing with