Chinese medicine 2

At present in the medical field, the biggest achievement of the human beings is Western Medicine and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). Western Medicine is good at treating about 30% of all the diseases of the human beings like first aid, operation, prevention of spreading of the epidemic diseases, and sustaining life activities, relying upon the accurate check and diagnosis by modern facilities.
History of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around for thousands of years. Although the first recorded history of TCM dates back over 2,000 years, it is believed that the origin of TCM goes back more than 5,000 years. Much people said that an origin of Chinese medicine is more legend than history.

The first written documentation on traditional Chinese medicine is the Hung-Di Nei-Jing (Yellow Emperor's Cannon of Internal Medicine). Hung-Di Nei-Jing is the oldest medical textbook in the world, different opinions date the book back to between 800 BCE and 200 BCE.

Some of the most specific discoveries of Chinese medicine were made during the Zhou dynasty, including the theoretical foundations of yin and yang, the five elements, the pathogenic factors of external environment as a cause of disease and further understanding of the meridians of acupuncture. The basic theories of acupuncture were established and stone needles became obsolete, being replaced by metal needles. Bian Que, a famous doctor/physician at the time of the spring and Autumn Warring States Period, was the first man in the world to use the pulse for diagnosis.
The Revolution of 1911 saw the beginning of the People's Republic of China. During this time China developed a desire to modernize and its people began to turn to Western medicine. The government of the time proposed the abolishment of traditional Chinese medicine and took measures to stop its development and use.
As there was very little or no medical services at the time, the new communist government encouraged the use of traditional Chinese remedies because they were cheap, acceptable to the Chinese, and used the skills already available in the countryside. Finally the traditional Chinese medicine regained popularity by the early to mid 1950s and the use of acupuncture and herbal medicine became standard medicine in many hospitals. Many hospital opened clinics to provide, teach and investigate the traditional methods, the main research institutes being in Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing.

Unfortunately, Chinese medicine, as a reflection of traditional Chinese culture, underwent a period of extreme hardship during the Cultural Revolution. National Association for Chinese Medicine was established, and many of the traditional texts were edited and republished.
The traditional Chinese medicine with its many branches has spread far and wide, gaining popularity in all parts of the world.

Four great inventions of ancint china

Four Great Inventions of ancient China

The ancient Chinese invented this fou great invencions:
• The Compass[2]
• Gunpowder[3]
• Papermaking[4]
• Printing[5]
These four discoveries had an enormous impact on the development of Chinese civilization and a far-ranging global impact.[6] However, some modern Chinese scholars have pointed out that other inventions in China were perhaps more sophisticated and had a greater impact – the Four Great Inventions serve merely to highlight the technological interaction between East and West.

Origins of china

Origins
Although Chinese culture is replete with lists of significant achievements (e.g. Four Great Beauties, Four Great Books of Song, Four Great Classical Novels, Five Classics, Five Elders), the concept of the Four Great Inventions originated with European scholars, and was only later adopted by the Chinese.
Later, Karl Marx also commented that, "Gunpowder, the compass, and the printing press were the three great inventions which ushered in bourgeois society. Gunpowder blew up the knightly class, the compass discovered the world market and founded the colonies, and the printing press was the instrument of Protestantism and the regeneration of science in general; the most powerful lever for creating the intellectual prerequisites."
The modern list of the Four Great Inventions originated in the 19th century with the missionary and Sinologist Joseph Edkins (1823-1905).

The Silk Road

The Silk Road

From the second century BC to the end of the fourteenth century AD, a great trade route originated from Chang'an in the east and ended at the Mediterranean in the west, linking China with the Roman Empire.
The Silk Road was opened up by Zhang Qian in the Western Han Dynasty and the routes were gradually formed throughout the Han Dynasty. With the establishment of the Tang Dynasty and great prosperity during this time, the Silk Road rose to its most flourishing period in history.
Along with the growth of the Mongolian Empire and the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, the Silk Road regained its vigor and became prosperous once again. The holders were able to travel freely and carried out trade between East and the West directly in the realm of the Mongol Empire.

Advances in Science and Technology

The history of science and technology in China is both long and rich with many contributions to science and technology. In Ancient Times, independently of Greek philosophers and other civilizations, Ancient Chinese philosophers made significant advances in science, technology, mathematics, and astronomy. The first recorded observations of comets and solar eclipses were made in China.
Traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and herbal medicine were also practiced.