Herbal Pearls: Traditional Chinese Folk Wisdom

In ancient China, people observed that when certain plants were consumed, disease was reduced or dispelled. These herbs evolved to become medicines, and when passing this herbal knowledge from one generation to the next, it was essential that it be accurate. Herbalists and monks were primary medical practitioners in Chinese tradition, but they were not without their own greed and corruption. Peasants, therefore, devised historical and mythical tales to help common people remember names, uses, physical descriptions and locations of herbs. These orally transmitted tales were threaded with entertaining plots, scenic descriptions and gripping tension. From 1934 to 1980, folklorist Miao Wen-wei collected these stories from peasants, farmers and traditional doctors in the central coastal region of China's Jiangsu, Anhui, and Zhejiang provinces. Herbal Pearls is a rare gem of fifty-three simple tales that convey justice, wisdom, moderation, cleverness and resourcefulness by use of memory aids and mnemonic clues. These stories are short and without complexities, and have a stirring charm and vibrant character that apply to life and health even in the age of electronic transmission.