Retaining Qihuang Root Veins for the Revival of Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Chengdu, I came across a collector of Chinese medicine books named Wu Bingde.

Walking into the narrow residence of Mr. Wu Bingde in Longmian Street, chenghua district, Chengdu, I saw all the rooms filled with bookshelves, all of which were Chinese medicine books, totaling more than 30,000 volumes. Looking at the whole country, it is rare and surprising that individuals collect so many books on traditional Chinese medicine.

I interviewed Mr. Wu Bingde in this room that exudes books.

A corner of Mr. Wu Bingde’s library. Lin Zhibo

Lin Zhibo: Teacher Wu, why did you choose to collect ancient Chinese medicine books? When did you start collecting?

Wu Bingde:I started collecting medical books in the late 1980s. When I was 22 years old, I graduated from school and went to work in a hospital. Although I have studied various theoretical knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine at school, I have no clinical experience and I am very anxious. On one occasion, I accidentally bought a 70′ s experience prescription book of old Chinese medicine from a street bookstall, which contained prescriptions for diagnosis and treatment of various diseases, curative effects and case analysis, as well as the names of donors. I carefully analyzed the prescriptions, and found the contents to be true and reliable, with strong practicability. I immediately verified three prescriptions in clinic, and all of them achieved good results. In the future clinical practice, when I encounter a difficult problem, I will find the corresponding solution from the book, which will help me a lot. Through continuous research and study, my medical skills have been greatly improved, which makes me convinced that these old medical books are valuable experiences left by my predecessors’ selfless dedication. I must cherish and seriously study their experiences, constantly improve my professional ability, become a famous doctor, and relieve illnesses for more people.

Since then, I have formed an indissoluble bond with old medical books. I go to the old book stand whenever I have time, buy old medical books when I see them, and even go to the old book stand to see if there are any old medical books wherever I visit relatives and friends.

Lin Zhibo: Please tell us, how many ancient Chinese medicine books do you have? How many types are there?

Wu Bingde:So far, I have collected 30,000 volumes for more than 30 years. The contents include:

First, the medical experience, medical records, secret recipes, prescriptions and contributions of old Chinese medicine practitioners all over the country;

Second, local Chinese herbal medicines throughout the country;

Three, all over the country "barefoot doctors" manual, training and learning materials, experience, earthwork law;

Four, the cultivation methods and processing methods of drugs throughout the country;

Five, all kinds of traditional Chinese medicine folk therapies spread among the people and ethnic minorities in China;

6. Various methods of diagnosis and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine spread among the people in China;

Seven, 50-80 years published a variety of traditional Chinese medicine classics;

Eight, traditional Chinese medicine and Taoism;

Nine, the early liberation of Chinese medicine schools, colleges and universities all over the country the earliest original (tutor) teaching materials, including traditional Chinese medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, five sense organs, acupuncture and moxibustion, all kinds of original handouts;

Ten, all over the country, the traditional therapy and medicine secret prescription and national medicine;

Eleven, the local Chinese medicine emergency treatment, the local snake first aid methods;

Twelve, the Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China, all kinds of ancestral secret manuscripts, official printed copies;

Thirteen, early all over the country famous orthopedics, famous doctor technique and experience;

Fourteen, 50-70 years around the old Chinese medicine treatment of various tumors and cancers of successful experience, cases, prescriptions, prescriptions;

Fifteen, early local Chinese medicine hospital internal self-use agreement prescription, hospital self-use Chinese medicine pills powder paste Dan preparation method, operation process;

XVI. Formulation method and technological process of pills, powders and pastes with local traditional characteristics in the early days of liberation;

Seventeen, early local ophthalmologists’ experience and prescription in treating eye diseases;

Eighteen, the local old Chinese medicine for external treatment of various diseases formula process operation method;

Nineteen, the experience of local old Chinese medicine practitioners in treating male and female diseases;

Twenty, all kinds of Chinese medicine publications, papers, and precious manuscripts of deceased old Chinese medicine published and printed by local parties all over the country;

Twenty-one, all kinds of Chinese herbal medicine plant specimens.

Lin Zhibo: Since you wanted to be a famous doctor, why did you end up as a collector? What kind of belief makes you stick to the road of collecting for more than 30 years?

Wu Bingde:There are many good doctors, but few collectors specialize in collecting medical books. It is not difficult for me to be a good doctor, but it is very difficult and difficult to be a good collector.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a treasure of Chinese culture, which has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. It has accumulated countless recipes and stunts to cure diseases and save lives. We can’t watch it dating and lost. After countless wandering, I seriously thought, what can I do? I looked at my collection of thousands of medical books, opened the books, and looked at the experiences, experiences, contributions and cases summarized by the ancestors inside, which were particularly good! I think the essence of these Chinese medicine can’t be lost! Let future generations know how our ancestors lived. What keeps you healthy? How to reproduce? Therefore, I made the biggest decision in my life and made a great wish: I will do only one thing in my life and try my best to collect ancient Chinese medicine books all over the country.

From then on, I specialized in collecting ancient medical books. If I don’t be a good doctor, I will collect medical books. I don’t want to be meritorious, but I want to be innocent. I am willing to be a poor collector of Chinese medicine books.

I spent more than 30 years, and spent about 3 million yuan before and after, and collected 30 thousand books on traditional Chinese medicine. There used to be domestic pharmaceutical companies, and even Japanese, Vietnamese and Koreans, who offered 20 million and 30 million yuan to buy my books, but I refused. I’m Chinese, and my collection is to prepare for the revival of Chinese medicine, connecting the past with the future, which is my lifelong responsibility and obligation.

Part of the library. Lin Zhibo

Lin Zhibo: When did your relationship with Chinese medicine begin? You have spent most of your life collecting books on traditional Chinese medicine. What do you rely on to maintain the collection of medical books?

Wu Bingde:I studied medicine since I was a child, and my mother knows some knowledge of herbs and earth methods, which are very useful. I like learning since I was a child, and I have mastered some methods. I am bold, dare to use them, and try again and again. As long as I cure others’ diseases with some small methods, I am very happy and have a sense of accomplishment, although I don’t receive any money.

I entered the Chinese medicine class at the age of 17 and worked in a local hospital. I obtained the qualification certificate of Chinese medicine in the early 1990s. I have worked as a sitting doctor, manager of a pharmaceutical company, run my own company, and have also done small business, including the money earned from part-time work, almost all of which was spent on the collection of Chinese medicine books. In those years, whenever I met a good book, I often borrowed money to collect it. I am often excited because I have found precious books, and I am also happy!

Since my youth, I have been determined to collect books. For more than 30 years, I have experienced hardships and hardships and worked hard for my ideals. In that era of backward information, I traveled all over the country, and my footprints were found all over the country.

In order to save money to collect medical books, I often buy cheap vegetables in the afternoon, and because I don’t have the money to take the bus after buying books, I have to walk more than 20 stops back to my residence with dozens of books on my back. I have lived in Chengdu for more than 20 years and rented a house for decades. I love this city, it gives me hope and fulfills my dream of TCM collection. I am very grateful to this city, because it has fulfilled my lifelong wish.

For me, I want to collect and preserve the roots of Qihuang and spread the traditional Chinese medicine culture. Therefore, my lifelong responsibility is to collect, spread and inherit the culture of traditional Chinese medicine. For this reason, I am doing what I want in obscurity and have no regrets.

Part of the library. Lin Zhibo

Lin Zhibo: You have spent most of your life collecting books on traditional Chinese medicine and realized your ideal. What are your thoughts and wishes now?

Wu Bingde:I am a recluse. I am determined to collect, remain unknown, and persistently collect medical books for decades, because I firmly believe that Chinese medicine will be revitalized, and these handed down experiences of Chinese medicine I have collected will play a role and benefit the public.

My greatest wish is to establish a museum of Chinese medicine classics, so that more young people can understand the profound Chinese medicine culture of our motherland, so that more Chinese medicine practitioners can learn, study and inherit the Chinese medicine culture of our motherland and do something concrete for the revival of Chinese medicine.

Lin Zhibo: Do you have any specific opinions and suggestions on the current development of Chinese medicine?

Wu Bingde:In recent years, my collection has been recognized by relevant state departments and units. I am a member of China Collectors Association, China Traditional Chinese Medicine Association, China Ethnic Medicine Association and executive director of Sichuan Collectors Association.

As a Chinese medicine practitioner, it is very difficult for a large number of folk Chinese medicine practitioners to survive and obtain legal medical qualifications. I hope that the inheritance of folk Chinese medicine experience will not be dated. Because Chinese medicine is rooted in the people, Chinese medicine comes from the people, inherits from the people, and serves the people for thousands of years.

In addition, the traditional Chinese medicine colleges and universities should not throw away the traditional things, but should extensively and deeply study the traditional folk therapies, secret recipes and stunts, and continue the way of teaching from teacher to apprentice.

I also hope to strengthen the quality management of Chinese herbal medicines. Time has proved that the quality of traditional Chinese medicine is the "lifeline" of Chinese medicine, and only the combination of good medicine and good dialectics can play a good role in Chinese medicine.